Sweden adopts law to revoke migrants' residency over “bad conduct”

The Swedish parliament approved a new law that allows authorities to cancel residence permits for migrants deemed to have “bad conduct.” The legislation defines such conduct as having unpaid debts, working in uninsured jobs or maintaining links with extremist organisations, and it applies both to pending and previously issued permits. The Migration Agency must review permits under the new rules, and individuals retain the right to appeal to court.

The measure is part of a broader tightening of immigration policy by the right‑wing government ahead of the September parliamentary elections. Critics, including the human‑rights group Civil Rights Defenders, say the law is vague and threatens legal certainty, noting that “the law on good conduct leaves people in insecurity about which actions or expressions can be used against them” and “undermines the rule of law and the principle of equality before the law.” Minister of Migration Johan Forsell warned that “anyone who does not make an effort to do the right thing should not assume they will stay.”