Sweden and Switzerland tighten residence permit rules for immigrants

Sweden's parliament enacted a law that allows authorities to revoke residence permits for immigrants who engage in behaviors such as unpaid debts, undeclared work, or ties to extremist groups. Public agencies must report such individuals, with exemptions for teachers, doctors and social workers, and migrants retain the right to appeal in migration courts. Critics say the measure creates arbitrary grounds for deportation, while the government argues it curbs abuse of the immigration system.

In Switzerland, the upper house approved a motion to forbid foreign nationals with criminal convictions from obtaining residence permits. The proposal follows a case where a mafia member secured a permit in a canton that did not conduct automatic criminal‑record checks. The motion seeks nationwide criminal‑record verification, though opponents warn it may conflict with the EU free‑movement agreement and suggest joining the European Criminal Records Information System.