The Moderates want people who are convicted of relationship crimes to be "disqualified" in principle from being granted citizenship, regardless of how long it has been since the crime was committed or when the sentence was served.
"For us, it is obvious, if you abuse your partner, you choose not to be in Sweden", said Migration Minister Johan Forssell.
The Moderates have previously proposed that people who are gang criminals or who commit rape or other serious sexual crimes should be disqualified from citizenship.
"These crimes are so serious that they are a special category; you should not be granted Swedish citizenship. Gang crime is a systemic crime and sexual crimes leave such deep traces in people that you can't just look at the punishment," said Forssell.
He also points to an 'honour' problem among perpetrators.
"The problem exists in all social groups, among ethnic Swedes, but we know that there are men who maintain a despicable honour culture that has more in common with the Middle Ages than Sweden in 2026," he said.
The party said it also wants to change the law to make it easier for foreigners to leave violent relationships. Today, a vulnerable woman who has come to Sweden as a family member can get a new residence permit if she leaves a man due to violence or abuse. Such a permit is valid for 13 months and cannot be extended.
The Moderates also say they want to review whether the person should be able to get a work permit in order to, for example, avoid ending up in a dependent situation where they stay in a harmful relationship.
"We are on the side of the victim. This law must be changed so that women do not risk losing their residence permit for leaving a violent relationship" Forssell said.
In September, new legislation will come into force that will tighten the rules for deportation due to crimes. Anyone convicted of a crime with a more severe penalty than a fine will usually be deported – something that has drawn criticism from prosecutors.
The Moderates are now saying that if they are re-elected in September, they want to see domestic violence by foreign-born people in Sweden to always lead to deportation. This should already be included in the new law, but the party says they will follow the issue carefully.
"It is ultimately up to the courts to use the new law, but if this does not have the intended effect, we will do more to ensure that these women abusers are deported," said Johan Forssell.
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