Zerohedge: Sweden's New Law: Orderly Conduct Now Key for Residence Permits

Summary

Sweden has enacted a new migration law that allows residence permits to be refused or revoked if foreign nationals are deemed not to have lived in an orderly manner. Approved by 302 votes to 44 in Parliament, this change significantly tightens the country's immigration system and comes into effect next month. Under these new rules, an individual's conduct, beyond criminal records, will carry greater weight in decisions about granting, extending, or revoking permits. The Migration Agency will assess cases individually, with examples of unacceptable behavior including failing to follow laws, ignoring public authorities, systematically avoiding debts or fines, illegal work, tax evasion, criminality, and links to extremist organizations. This measure is part of a broader trend of more restrictive migration policies in Sweden, including the removal of permanent residence permits for certain asylum categories and stricter rules for work permits and citizenship, which now requires eight years of residence and proof of self-sufficiency, conduct, and Swedish language knowledge.