Sweden's Migration Minister has furthered the government's tough rhetoric on restricting citizenship rights, stating that "only Swedish citizens have an unconditional right to stay in the country."
Speaking in an interview with Sveriges Radio, Johan Forssell outlined the reasons why the government intends to tighten the rules on acquiring citizenship and the ways in which he believes the current system is overly generous.
This follows ongoing efforts by the four "Tidö parties" in the ruling government coalition to make getting Swedish citizenship more difficult.
A government inquiry on January 14th recommended that the residency requirement for Swedish citizenship be extended from five years to eight, that prospective citizens be required to be able to support themselves financially, and that the application fee be more than doubled.
Then on January 15th, another inquiry recommended changing the constitution to make it possible to strip dual citizens of their Swedish citizenship if they commit crimes against the state.
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In the interview, Forssell acknowledged that the proposed changes are significant but asserted Swedish citizenship must be earned: "Yes, the reforms that we are now presenting are crucial, and it is a big change," the minister said. "And the background to this is our perception that citizenship is something that should be earned. Nothing that should be given almost without any requirements."
The minister was also keen to differentiate Swedish policy from its Nordic neighbours, implying that the current system for obtaining Swedish citizenship is comparatively soft.
"I would like to say that the Swedish rules differ, we stand out, not least in the Nordic region, linked to the fact that here you have been able to become a Swedish citizen very quickly without any requirements that you should be able to speak the Swedish language, without being able to know anything about Sweden," he said.
"Even criminals have been able to get citizenship in Sweden. Is that really reasonable?" he asked. "No, we clearly say on that point. And therefore, we are now moving forward with important changes both to strengthen the value of citizenship, but also our view of citizenship as it can be an incentive for people to make an effort, become part of the Swedish community, learn Swedish. You should be proud to be a citizen of Sweden, quite simply."
Under the proposed new rules, applicants also need to prove self-sufficiency through a salary or income from their own business. They will need to earn, at a minimum, the same as the förbehållsbelopp (literally, reserve amount), which is a figure used by the Enforcement Authority when deciding how much money someone should be able to keep to cover the cost of housing and other living expenses in case of debt restructuring.
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When asked where this limit should be, Forssell stated the government that "for me, the 7,000 SEK that is the proposal, it is not sharp enough, also with the different types of exceptions that exist here. I would like to tighten it up. I think it's necessary."
On deportation rules, Forssell confirmed that the government "will lower the threshold for deportation," but also conceded that "it is clear that there are things where a single crime may not reach that degree on the punishment scale."
However, those "systematically" breaking the law "should not be in Sweden," he said, adding that "it is only Swedish citizens who have an unconditional right to stay in the country. For other people, that does not apply."
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