If you act against the interests of the kingdom, citizenship can be revoked

After the revelation that the government should be able to deport people who act against the interests of the kingdom, Jimmie Åkesson now opens up that citizenship can also be revoked on the same basis.

– A person who has dual citizenship and obviously has loyalties to a foreign power, for example, then it can be interesting to look at, says the SD leader.

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Recently, the Sweden Democrats came out with the proposal that the government should be able to deport people who act in conflict with the interests of the kingdom.

– There must be extraordinary cases where it can be shown here and now that it is against our interests. It can be foreign policy interests, it can also be domestic policy matters, where there is a need to quickly get rid of a person who simply should not be here, says Jimmie Åkesson.

According to the SD leader, it is probably about a handful of cases per year that may be considered for deportation because they act against the interests of the state.

– This should be a fast track to be able to act quickly when needed.

Åkesson: If one or the other ends up in trouble, so be it

As examples of when deportations based on the interests of the state may be relevant, Åkesson has mentioned gang criminal leaders who cannot be linked to crime, imams who spread Islamist hate propaganda or people who destabilize Sweden on behalf of other countries.

In 1975, when the law was changed, the investigator pointed out that precisely “the interests of the kingdom” is a loose term and that it risks being applied too broadly.

In addition, it is stated that it is very difficult to specify when it may be appropriate to deport someone with reference to the interests of the kingdom.

– The aim is to protect Swedish citizens and Swedish interests. Then someone who is not a Swedish citizen may end up in trouble, but then so be it.

“No human right to be in Sweden”

Jimmie Åkesson admits that assessments can be arbitrary, but he still believes that the government should be able to get the power to deport someone. Better that the application of the option be too broad than too narrow, he believes.

– If the government judges that this is something that is clearly against our interests, right now, for example, in this foreign policy situation, then we think it is reasonable for the person to leave the country.

– And I mean, it is not a human right to be in Sweden if you are not a Swedish citizen.

Citizenship can be revoked

Jimmie Åkesson is now also opening up for the state to be able to withdraw citizenship from people who act against the interests of the kingdom.

– A person who has dual citizenship and obviously has loyalties to a foreign power, for example, then it can be interesting to look at, says Jimmie Åkesson.

A decision to withdraw citizenship must be made by a court – not the government, points out the SD leader.

Nevertheless, it is a step further than the Tidö Agreement’s writings about the possibility of being able to withdraw citizenship.

In the agreement, M, KD, L and SD agree that proposals to withdraw citizenship must be drawn up for persons with dual citizenship “who have committed system-threatening crime or whose citizenship was granted as a result of incorrect information”.

Outings do not affect the Tidö collaboration

Last week, SD leader Richard Jomshof made a move that stirred up a great deal of debate when he wrote on the platform X, formerly Twitter, that the Left Party’s Riksdag member Daniel Riazat “should ‘move from’ Sweden”.

This after Riazat participated in a radio feature in 2015 where he said that he did not want to live next to SD members of parliament in the members’ residences.

Among others, the Liberal party leader Johan Pehrson distanced himself from the statement and called it “sad”.

But according to Jimmie Åkesson, such overtures from Jomshof do not affect the cooperation with the government.

– No, it doesn’t. We are four different parties and we have different starting points. At the same time, the governing parties know that issues of Islamism are important issues for us and our voters. So they are probably not particularly surprised when representatives for us think things in those matters.

– In the name of honesty, all parties have individual members who make outbursts sometimes that may be pointed or go outside the usual framework, but that’s part of it. In our relationship with the government, the interesting thing is what happens in negotiation situations in the first place and it is not affected.

Kristersson sent text messages after the mosque scene

The SD leader has also been responsible for attention-grabbing outings. Last fall, Åkesson sparked debate when he said that mosques where “anti-democratic, anti-Swedish, homophobic or anti-Semitic propaganda or general misinformation about Swedish society” is spread should be demolished.

Åkesson also said that symbols that “serve as Islamist monuments”, including minarets and crescents, should be completely removed from cityscapes around the country.

After the outcome reported The Expressen, citing government sources, that Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) should have had an “enlightening conversation” with Jimmie Åkesson.

Åkesson denies that this would have happened.

– Ulf sent a text saying that he did not agree, says the SD leader.

The requirement: SD in government, otherwise Kristersson cannot be prime minister

After the 2026 election, SD will be in government, if the election result is similar to the 2022 result. It is a demand from the SD leader.

– There are no arguments to keep us out.

The message from Åkesson is that SD will either be in the government after the 2026 election or sit in opposition. No new Tidö agreement is therefore relevant. If SD is not allowed into government, Ulf Kristersson will not become prime minister again.

He justifies the decision by saying that the existing agreement gives the party government experience, something that should convince the other parties that SD is ready for government.

Besides, he adds, his party is the largest in the constellation.

– We have no interest in maintaining this situation for long.

– We are ready to step over the stream for real.