Swedish political parties have agreed that dual nationals who commit crimes that threaten national security should lose their citizenship.
The cross-party committee recommended that the change could apply to anyone who used bribes or false information to obtain their citizenship; and also if they committed crimes that posed a threat to the state or fell under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
But she balked at the minority government’s proposals to strip gangsters of their citizenship.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said Sweden was facing “violent extremism, state actors acting hostile to Sweden, as well as systematic organized crime.”
Under the Swedish constitution, revocation of citizenship is currently not allowed, and a vote will be held next year in parliament to change the law.
Center-left opposition parties say stripping criminal gangs of their citizenship would be a step too far because it would be difficult to decide how to define the law.
But Sweden’s ruling centre-right parties, backed by the more radical anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, want the changes to tackle the dramatic rise of criminal gangs and high gun homicide rates.
“The proposals I received today will not give us the possibility to give Swedish citizenship back to gang leaders in criminal networks who are sitting abroad, directing shootings, bombings and murders on Swedish streets,” Strommer told Swedish Radio.
The government points to neighboring Denmark, where citizenship can already be revoked for acts that “seriously harm the vital interests of the state.” The law has recently been expanded to include some forms of serious gang crime.
Sweden’s minority government has also tightened the rules on applying for citizenship.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell said last year the police reported 600 cases of reporting people considered a threat to national security.
From June 2026, anyone applying for a Swedish passport will generally have to live in the country for eight years instead of the current five. Swedish language and society tests would also be included.
Forssell said it was “too easy” to become Swedish and that it should be something they should be proud of: “We will build a Sweden that sticks together, where Swedish citizenship is more important.”
“Girls and boys have the right to swim and play football. If you don’t accept that, Sweden is not the country for you.”
The leader of the Sweden Democrats, Jimmie Akesson, wants the government to go further, requiring new citizens to make a declaration of loyalty to Sweden.
However, this was not included in the recommendations of the government inquiry.
The author of the questionnaire, Kirsti Laakso Utvik, said that the changes will bring Sweden more in line with other European countries.
