- Sweden’s political parties propose revoking citizenship of dual citizens who commit crimes threatening national security.
- The proposal has sparked debate, with opposition parties arguing against revoking citizenship of gang criminals.
- Sweden’s government is also tightening citizenship application rules, citing national security concerns.
- The rise of far-right parties across Europe, including Sweden, reflects a trend of increasing nationalism and anti-immigration sentiment.
Sweden’s political parties have reached a consensus that dual citizens who commit crimes posing a threat to national security should lose their citizenship. This recommendation, put forth by a cross-party committee, could apply to individuals who have obtained their citizenship through bribery or false information, or those who have committed crimes that threaten the state or fall under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. However, the committee did not endorse the minority government’s proposal to revoke the citizenship of gangsters.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer highlighted the challenges Sweden is grappling with, including violent extremism, state actors acting hostilely towards Sweden, and systemic organized crime. Currently, the Swedish constitution does not permit the revocation of citizenship, but a vote is scheduled for next year to potentially change these laws.
The proposal has sparked debate among opposition parties. Centre-left parties argue that revoking the citizenship of gang criminals would be a step too far, as defining the law would be challenging. Two opposition parties, the Left and the Greens, stated they could not support the removal of citizenship at all.
Sweden’s New Citizenship Rules and European Trends
On the other hand, Sweden’s centre-right governing parties, backed by the more radical anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, support the changes to address the dramatic rise in gang crime and the high rate of gun killings. The government has pointed to Denmark, where citizenship can already be revoked due to an act that is seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of the state. The law was recently extended to include some forms of serious gang crime.
Sweden’s minority government has also moved to tighten rules on applying for citizenship. Migration Minister Johan Forssell reported that last year, police reported 600 cases of people applying who were considered a threat to national security. From June 2026, anyone seeking a Swedish passport will generally have to have lived in the country for eight years instead of five. Tests on Swedish language and society would also be included.
Forssell stated that it had been far too easy to become Swedish and that it should be something to feel proud of. He emphasized the importance of integration into Swedish society, stating, Girls and boys have the right to swim and play football. If you don’t accept that, Sweden is not the country for you.
The Rise of Far-Right Parties in Europe
The rise of far-right parties across Europe has been a cause for concern. In Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been gaining popularity, with polls placing them in second place nationwide. The party’s recent victories in local elections have sparked debates about the threat to democracy. Similarly, in Italy, the far-right Brothers of Italy (FdI) party won a landslide victory in the 2022 parliamentary election. The party’s leader, Giorgia Meloni, became the country’s first female prime minister.
In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders and his far-right PVV party won the snap Dutch general elections in November 2023. The party’s victory was seen as a sign of the growing influence of far-right parties in European politics. In Sweden, the right-wing nationalist Sverigedemokraterna (SDSE) party has also gained ground, forming a parliamentary alliance with the new liberal-conservative coalition.
These developments reflect a broader trend of rising nationalism and anti-immigration sentiment across Europe. The backlash against the Scandinavian Airlines’ advertisement questioning what is truly Scandinavian? is a case in point. The advertisement, which suggested that many things deemed to be truly Scandinavian were actually brought to Scandinavia from other cultures, sparked outrage and even a bomb threat against the advertising company.