EU nation calls for immigrants to lead an 'honest life'
Migrants aiming for Swedish citizenship are required to maintain a clean legal record both prior to and following their arrival, according to an announcement from Stockholm. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
"Sweden is not the country" for newcomers who won’t adapt to liberal values, stated Stockholm’s migration minister.
Immigrants aiming for Swedish citizenship are now required to demonstrate that they have lived an "honest life" and commit to embracing the Nordic nation’s liberal values, as announced by Migration Minister Johan Forssell under new regulations.
These regulations, proposed by a government-appointed commission, were adopted by the government this week and will take effect next year. Forssell shared details at a press conference on Tuesday.
Under the new requirements, immigrants must show that they have resided in Sweden for eight years and led an “honest life”—meaning no criminal convictions or outstanding debts—both before and after their arrival in the country.
Currently, Swedish authorities only assess applicants' behavior following their arrival, allowing immigrants to apply for citizenship after five years.
"This is particularly important at a time when Sweden has welcomed hundreds of thousands of people from many parts of the world in recent years," Forssell remarked to reporters. "You should feel proud to be a Swedish citizen, and you only feel proud once you’ve made an effort."
Forssell emphasized that applicants will need to demonstrate their acceptance of Swedish values, including equality for women and the LGBT community.
"If you don’t accept that, Sweden is not the country for you," he asserted.
His statements came four months after the announcement that Sweden would start offering payments to immigrants willing to return to their home countries, which he referred to as “a paradigm shift in our migration policy.”
In 2015, former Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom characterized Sweden as a "humanitarian superpower" as the country opened its borders to over 160,000 asylum seekers—more than any other European nation on a per capita basis. Since then, nearly a million people, primarily from the Middle East and North Africa, have moved to Sweden.
These influxes have coincided with a surge in violent crime, with murder and manslaughter cases nearly doubling from 2012 to 2023, and sexual offenses rising by 56% from 2013 to 2021. A 2017 investigation by Dagens Nyheter indicated that 90% of those arrested for shootings in Sweden were either first- or second-generation immigrants.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has pledged to address the rising issue of migrant crime, particularly after three people were killed in a 12-hour span due to a feud among rival Middle-Eastern drug gangs.
In August of the previous year, the Swedish government revealed that for the first time in a century, more individuals were leaving the country than moving there.
Additionally, the government commission has suggested that Sweden revoke citizenship from dual citizens convicted of crimes threatening national security. Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer mentioned that parliament will deliberate on this matter next year.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
Immigrants aiming for Swedish citizenship are now required to demonstrate that they have lived an "honest life" and commit to embracing the Nordic nation’s liberal values, as announced by Migration Minister Johan Forssell under new regulations.
These regulations, proposed by a government-appointed commission, were adopted by the government this week and will take effect next year. Forssell shared details at a press conference on Tuesday.
Under the new requirements, immigrants must show that they have resided in Sweden for eight years and led an “honest life”—meaning no criminal convictions or outstanding debts—both before and after their arrival in the country.
Currently, Swedish authorities only assess applicants' behavior following their arrival, allowing immigrants to apply for citizenship after five years.
"This is particularly important at a time when Sweden has welcomed hundreds of thousands of people from many parts of the world in recent years," Forssell remarked to reporters. "You should feel proud to be a Swedish citizen, and you only feel proud once you’ve made an effort."
Forssell emphasized that applicants will need to demonstrate their acceptance of Swedish values, including equality for women and the LGBT community.
"If you don’t accept that, Sweden is not the country for you," he asserted.
His statements came four months after the announcement that Sweden would start offering payments to immigrants willing to return to their home countries, which he referred to as “a paradigm shift in our migration policy.”
In 2015, former Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom characterized Sweden as a "humanitarian superpower" as the country opened its borders to over 160,000 asylum seekers—more than any other European nation on a per capita basis. Since then, nearly a million people, primarily from the Middle East and North Africa, have moved to Sweden.
These influxes have coincided with a surge in violent crime, with murder and manslaughter cases nearly doubling from 2012 to 2023, and sexual offenses rising by 56% from 2013 to 2021. A 2017 investigation by Dagens Nyheter indicated that 90% of those arrested for shootings in Sweden were either first- or second-generation immigrants.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has pledged to address the rising issue of migrant crime, particularly after three people were killed in a 12-hour span due to a feud among rival Middle-Eastern drug gangs.
In August of the previous year, the Swedish government revealed that for the first time in a century, more individuals were leaving the country than moving there.
Additionally, the government commission has suggested that Sweden revoke citizenship from dual citizens convicted of crimes threatening national security. Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer mentioned that parliament will deliberate on this matter next year.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
