Sweden’s parliament has passed a new law allowing authorities to revoke residence permits from immigrants on the grounds of insufficient “good behaviour” (god vandeld), even in cases where no crime has been committed.
The measure, which takes effect on July 13, applies both to new applications and retroactively to existing permits.
The legislation expands the assessment of an immigrant’s “honest and orderly way of life”.
Examples of behaviour that can now trigger refusal or revocation of a permit include unpaid debts, undeclared work, failure to support oneself, repeated minor infractions, or links to extremist organisations.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell (Moderate Party) defended the reform: “Anyone who doesn’t make the effort to do the right thing shouldn’t be able to count on staying.”
He described the law as part of a broader shift since 2022 to tighten immigration rules in cooperation with the Sweden Democrats.
The law forms part of the Tidö Agreement’s migration agenda and comes ahead of the September 2026 parliamentary election.
It reflects a significant hardening of Swedish policy, once among Europe’s most open, following years of high immigration, integration challenges and rising public concern over crime and welfare dependency.
Supporters argue the measure promotes integration and fairness.
Critics, including opposition parties and human rights groups, warn it is vague and risks arbitrary application.
Civil Rights Defenders said: “The good behaviour law leaves people in uncertainty about what actions or expressions can be used against them.”
Twenty-three innocent bystanders have been killed and 30 others wounded in gang-related shootings in Sweden over the past three years, according to police statistics released on Monday that have laid bare the Nordic country’s struggle to rein in a wave of violent crime rooted in…
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) May 5, 2026
