Sweden Tightens Citizenship Rules and Expands Deportation Powers
From 6 June 2024 Sweden introduced stricter citizenship requirements. The minimum residence period for applicants was raised from five to eight years and a new economic self‑sufficiency test was added, demanding a net monthly income of at least 20 000 Swedish crowns (about €1 839) and no receipt of income support for more than six months in the past three years. Applicants must also pass written tests on Swedish society, language, history and civic knowledge.
A separate law, approved on 13 July 2024, allows authorities to revoke residence permits not only for criminal offenses but also for behaviours deemed incompatible with stay, such as unpaid debts, undeclared work, inability to support oneself, repeated minor infractions or links to extremist groups. The reforms target foreign nationals aged 16‑66, with exceptions for pensioners, the disabled and students. The Swedish government emphasised that the measures aim to ensure genuine integration and prevent non‑meritorious immigration.
The changes come as the European Parliament prepares to vote on an EU repatriation regulation for third‑country nationals with irregular status.