Swedish Migration Law Reforms Spark Backlash Over Deportations of Established Families

Recent reforms in Swedish migration law, including the abolition of the 'spårbyte' system and increased work permit salary requirements, have led to the deportation of thousands, including families deeply integrated into Swedish society. Sara Ghorbani Shamasbi, her husband Farhood Masoudi, and their 13-year-old son Parham, who fled religious persecution in Iran and settled in Norsjö, face imminent deportation despite their long-term residence, local employment, and community ties. The family fears for their safety if returned to Iran due to their Christian faith, and community members in Norsjö have rallied to support them, submitting appeals to Migration authorities and advocating for their right to remain.

Locally, politicians including Håkan Jansson, opposition leader in Norsjö, and municipal council chair Mikael Lindfors have vocally criticized the government's changes. Jansson called the decision inhumane and suggested a retroactive amnesty, emphasizing the adverse impact on communities battling population decline. Lindfors highlighted the legislation’s neglect of smaller municipalities’ needs for stable populations and local workforce for sustainable growth. Both politicians have urged the government to reconsider the sweeping reforms.

According to Carl Bexelius, legal chief at Migrationsverket, the changes aim to attract highly educated immigrants and combat wage dumping and fraud, with salary requirements for work permits doubling from about 13,000 SEK to nearly 26,000 SEK and projected to increase further. The removal of the ‘spårbyte’ system forces many long-term residents who previously could convert asylum claims to work permits without leaving Sweden, to now leave the country to apply anew, complicating regularization efforts.

Though Sweden currently sees a record low in asylum applications, the migration agency faces a surge in complex cases triggered by rapid legislative changes. Government officials acknowledge the emotional toll but defend the reforms as necessary to regulate immigration and improve integration outcomes which have been challenged by prior high migration rates and associated crime concerns.

The situation of the Ghorbani Shamasbi family encapsulates the human cost of these policies, with Sara expressing exhaustion and anxiety over their uncertain future, while Parham, having spent over half his life in Sweden, hopes for legal changes to keep him with his friends and community. The ongoing appeals and public advocacy indicate a growing debate balancing immigration control and humanitarian considerations across Sweden’s political landscape.