Sweden - January 2024

As of 1 January, new legislation allows police to physically search people suspected of being illegal immigrants for identity documents (if they fail to provide the documents voluntarily) and retain the documents until their legal status is confirmed or they leave the country. The measures  were criticized by Civil Rights Defenders for the risk of ethnic profiling when they were proposed in 2022. On 1 March, further amendments to the Aliens Act will enter into force, allowing for the revocation of “alien passports” for security reasons. “Alien passports” are granted to residence permit holders who cannot safely obtain a home country passport. The changes also expand the grounds for revoking residence permits for individuals suspected of terrorism or state-sponsored industrial espionage. The Council on Legislation cautioned against the changes, due to loosely defined criteria for identifying involvement in terrorism, potentially resulting in arbitrary enforcement.

Sources: Riksdagen – decision (1), Civil Rights Defenders, The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, Riksdagen - decision (2), the Council on Legislation