Sweden’s political parties have agreed that dual nationals who commit crimes that threaten national security should lose their citizenship.
A cross-party committee recommended that the change could be applied to anyone who used bribes or false information to obtain their citizenship. and if they committed crimes that posed a threat to the state or fell under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
But it stopped short of proposals by the minority government to revoke gangsters’ citizenship.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömer said Sweden was dealing with “violent extremism, state actors acting in a hostile manner against Sweden, as well as organized crime”.
Sweden’s constitution currently does not allow revocation of citizenship and changes to the law will be voted on in parliament next year.
Center-left opposition parties say revoking the citizenship of gang criminals is too far-fetched, as it would be difficult to decide how to interpret the law.
However, Sweden’s centre-right ruling parties, backed by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, want changes to tackle a dramatic increase in gang crime and a high rate of gun deaths.
“The proposals I received today are for us to withdraw Swedish citizenship from the leaders of criminal networks based abroad, the shootings and bombings on the streets of Sweden and the murders,” Stromer told Swedish radio. Not likely.”
The government points to neighboring Denmark, where citizenship can already be revoked because of a process that is “seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of the state”. The statute was recently expanded to include some forms of serious gang crime.
Sweden’s minority government has also tried to tighten the rules on applying for citizenship.
Migration Minister Johan Forsel said last year police reported 600 cases of people applying who were considered a threat to national security.
From June 2026, a Swedish passport holder will normally have to stay in the country for eight years instead of five. Swedish language and society tests will also be included.
Forsel said it was “very easy” to be Swedish and to be proud of it: “We are going to build a Sweden that is connected, where Swedish citizenship matters more.”
“Girls and boys have the right to swim and play football. If you don’t accept that, Sweden is not the country for you.”
Sweden Democrats leader Jimmy Akesson wants the government to go further, requiring new citizens to swear an oath of allegiance to Sweden.
However, this was not among the recommendations of the government inquiry.
The author of the inquiry, Kristi Laakso Attock, said the changes would bring Sweden closer to other European countries.