Sweden Passes ‘Good Behavior’ Law to Evict Misbehaving Migrants
Sweden's parliament passed legislation allowing authorities to revoke residence permits from migrants who fail to demonstrate good conduct, including those with unpaid debts or criminal links.
The Swedish parliament, the Riksdag, approved the measure on Monday, with the stated aim of increasing the ability to remove individuals based on their lifestyle choices, according to Breitbart News. The proposal, put forward by Sweden’s right-wing coalition government, places significantly greater emphasis on a foreigner’s conduct and way of life when determining whether to grant or maintain residence permits.
The Riksdag announced that the new framework introduces stricter requirements for both obtaining and retaining residence permits. Under the legislation, authorities will be able to deny or revoke permits in cases where migrants fail to comply with laws, regulations, and official decisions, accumulate substantial debts, or support themselves through dishonest means.
The populist Sweden Democrats party celebrated the passage of the bill, stating through social media that the party was delivering on its election promises. The post highlighted that parliament had approved not only the character requirements for residence permits but also doubled penalties for gang criminals and reintroduced official liability.
The law will take effect on July 13, 2026, and applies retroactively to residence permits that have already been granted.
This latest legislative action represents another significant step in Sweden’s efforts to address its mass migration crisis. The move follows a report presented roughly a year ago by Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell, which advocated for good conduct requirements tied to residence permits. Forssell argued that while integration into Swedish society should be encouraged, there must also be consequences for those who commit crimes or behave badly, as Breitbart News reports.
Sweden’s government has also indicated plans to prevent migrants who fail to learn the Swedish language from obtaining citizenship, a policy development that was reported in February.
When presenting the bill to the Riksdag in March, Minister Forssell reportedly emphasized that anyone who does not make the effort to do the right thing should not expect to remain in the country.
Alongside the good behavior legislation, Swedish lawmakers approved additional changes to the nation’s Utlänningslagen migration law on Monday. These reforms streamline deportation procedures and provide enhanced resources to Sweden’s police force and Migration Board to more effectively enforce deportation and expulsion orders.
The Riksdag outlined a new obligation requiring multiple government agencies—including the Swedish Employment Agency, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, the Swedish Enforcement Authority, the Swedish Pensions Agency, and the Swedish Tax Agency—to proactively provide information about foreigners to the Police Authority if there is reason to believe they do not have the right to reside in Sweden.
The new rules also expand authorities’ ability to verify the identities of migrants through extended use of fingerprinting and photographs. Police will be permitted to seize and search mobile phone devices if there is reason to believe the devices contain identifying information. Like the good behavior law, these changes are scheduled to take effect on July 13, 2026.
Critics of the legislation have characterized its criteria as arbitrary. The Stockholm-based organization Civil Rights Defenders issued a statement claiming the law undermines the rule of law and leaves individuals uncertain about what actions or expressions might be used against them, according to reporting by The Guardian.
With information from Breitbart News
