The leaders of the center-right governing parties say they intend to make it more difficult for migrants to be granted Swedish citizenship “to the extent possible”.
However, the vague wording and lack of concrete measures have led to concerns that Swedish citizenship will still be handed out almost as liberally as before.
“Additional measures to ensure that Swedish citizenship is not granted to people who threaten Swedish interests. The requirements for obtaining citizenship should be tightened”, the leaders of the governing parties wrote in an opinion piece in the Bonnier newspaper Dagens Nyheter.
“Before the new requirements for citizenship are in place, there is reason to act against citizenship being issued under the current legislation. Citizenship that is granted without the applicant meeting the increased requirements constitutes a vulnerability for Sweden’s security. To the extent possible, measures should therefore be taken to prevent more Swedish citizenship being issued, until the new legislation enters into force”.
Varför behöver personer som sitter på den ultimata makten lägga till brasklappen “i den mån det är möjligt… ?”
Led! Eller bli ledd. Och om du/ni inte leder – varför ska vi rösta fram er till era upphöjda välbetalda positioner?— John Guslén (@JGuslen) November 30, 2024
Translation: Why do people who hold ultimate power need to add the disclaimer “to the extent possible… ?”
Lead! Or be led. And if you don’t lead – why should we vote you into your prestigious, well-paid positions?
No total stop to be expected
The leader of the Sweden Democrats, Jimmie Åkesson, recently announced that he wants to pause all new citizenships until a stricter regulatory framework is in place, but there does not appear to be a total halt to new citizenships, and it is not clear what measures will be taken to reduce the number of citizenship applications granted.
Another concern is the wording that “persons who threaten Swedish interests” should not be able to become Swedish citizens, and critics point out that there is a risk that citizenship will continue to be showered on migrants from Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan, for example – but that dissidents and other individuals perceived as politically uncomfortable will be excluded from all opportunities to become Swedish citizens.
