SWEDEN: ‘The New Migration Laws Are so Vague That People Don’t Know What Might Be Used Against Them’

by CIVICUSFriday, August 28, 2026Inter Press Service CIVICUS discusses Sweden’s new migration laws with John Stauffer, legal director and deputy executive director of Civil Rights Defenders, a Swedish civil society organisation that acts as a civil rights watchdog at home and supports human rights defenders in repressive contexts worldwide. John StaufferImmigration has dominated the campaign ahead of Sweden’s general election on 13 September. In June, the centre-right government, which depends on a far-right party to govern, pushed three changes to migration laws through parliament, all of which took effect in July. People with asylum status can no longer obtain permanent residence, residence permits can now be revoked over conduct that is not criminal, and public agencies must report undocumented people to the police.What are the main changes to Sweden’s immigration laws?The biggest change is that permanent residence will no longer be available for people with asylum status. Under the new rules, they will only be granted temporary residence permits. This is being paired with a new law on ‘good behaviour’ for some categories of migrants, which lets the authorities refuse or revoke ...