It seeks to make expulsions mandatory for all foreign nationals sentenced to prison.

On Wednesday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson presented a legal reform to tighten immigration laws and increase the deportation of immigrants who commit crimes.

RELATED:

Sweden to Deploy Jets for NATO Operations Around Greenland

The reform has enough votes to be approved since it is backed by the far-right Sweden Democrats party. Once passed, all foreign nationals sentenced to prison would be deported — not only those given sentences of at least six months, as is currently the case.

The Kristersson administration also aims to reduce the weight given to a convicted person’s ties to Sweden when considering deportation and to extend the period of re-entry bans, making them indefinite in some cases.

“Too few foreign criminals have been sentenced to deportation. There has been a systemic failure,” Migration Minister Johan Forssell said.

The conservative Swedish government believes the number of deportation orders has increased only slightly since the 2022 reform of immigration laws and estimates that the new reform would raise annual deportations from 500 to 3,000.

“Those who come to Sweden and commit crimes abuse Swedish hospitality and must be deported. Ultimately, this is about defending victims and all those who fulfill their duties. Step by step, we are making migration policy fairer,” Forssell said, adding that he expects the new rules to take effect Sept. 1.

Since a right-wing coalition took power four years ago, Sweden has tightened its immigration policy, following a line similar to neighboring Denmark, a Scandinavian pioneer in adopting a hard-line approach on the issue.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

IN THIS ARTICLE