On Tuesday, the government submitted a bill to the Riksdag with proposals to be able to revoke residence permits in more cases. The government has also requested that the European Commission strengthen its work against people who pose a security threat.
– The terrorist act in Brussels shows that the Union is no stronger than its weakest link, says Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M).
The Tidö parties want to see more opportunities to revoke residence permits for people deemed to pose a security risk.
Today, there is no possibility to revoke a residence permit for all types of security-threatening activities if a person has been in Sweden for more than three years. Therefore, it is also proposed that the deadline be extended and in some cases removed.
Furthermore, it is proposed that the handling of alien passports be tightened and that this type of passport should be able to be revoked more easily due to security threats.
Säpo objects to more citizenships
The background is said to be an increased threat image related to migration. This can be seen in the work with applications for Swedish citizenship, where the Security Police identifies more and more people who immigrated to Sweden, but who are also deemed to pose a threat to security. This year, Säpo has objected to Swedish citizenship being granted in a record number of cases.
In 2019, Säpo submitted objections against granting citizenship in 147 cases, while already by October this year objections were submitted in over 600 cases.
The reminder can, for example, be about the applicant having extremist sympathies, that there is information about serious crime in other countries or suspicions of war crimes or connections to a foreign power.
Looking for help in the EU
The government has sent a request to the European Commission to strengthen the work with people who pose a security threat, says Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M) at a press conference.
The request is made, among other things, against the background of the terrorist attack in Brussels against two Swedes. The perpetrator had applied for asylum in Sweden, been convicted of a crime and then deported, but was still able to stay within Schengen.
The government wants the request to be taken up as a special agenda item at the Council of Ministers meeting in December.
It mainly concerns four issues: strengthened control of the EU’s external border, increased information exchange and improved use of the EU’s systems and databases, stopping the financing of terrorism and the importance of adopting the EU’s asylum and migration package, as well as continued effort at EU level for an “effective return”.