Säpo wants to tighten tests for people with connections abroad or with dual citizenship who apply for security-sensitive jobs, such as police. It would affect thousands of Swedish-Iranians who are completely unable to renounce their Iranian citizenship. – This means that a large part of a competent workforce is excluded from many sectors, says Ardalan Shekarabi (S). The security policy situation in Sweden has drawn attention to what measures should be taken to protect Swedish security interests. One of the countries that, according to Säpo, poses the biggest threat to Swedish security is Iran – a country with a large presence in Sweden. – I and over 100,000 Swedes who have roots in Iran cannot get rid of Iranian citizenship, Ardalan Shekarabi (S). “Terrible consequences” The proposal for stricter security checks for people with connections to foreign countries who apply for sensitive positions, such as police, is now with the Government Office. – It is completely unreasonable that people should automatically fail security tests for that reason, Ardalan Shekarabi. – This proposal fails and has terrible consequences for hundreds of thousands of Swedish citizens who happen to have family ties to another country, says Ardalan Shekarabi. Säpo’s explanation The Security Police believes that a foreign power is constantly trying to get hold of information worthy of protection in Sweden and that a tightening is needed. – There is continuous illegal intelligence activity in Sweden, espionage, cyber attacks and so on. And authoritarian states spare no means to achieve these goals and exploit the vulnerabilities they can find, says Fredrik Hultgren at Säpo. In the player above: Ardalan Shekarabi elaborates on his criticism of the proposal.
t4-general
Swedish-Iranians may find it more difficult to become police officers: “Is completely unreasonable”
