The Swedish parliament approved legislation on Monday allowing authorities to revoke residency permits for immigrants deemed to exhibit poor conduct, part of broader efforts to address crime and immigration concerns.
The new law permits the Migration Agency to review permits held by current and pending residents who have ties to extremist groups, unpaid debts, or undeclared employment. Decisions can be appealed in migration court.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell stated that anyone who does not make the effort to do the right thing should not count on staying. Human rights groups, including the Stockholm-based Civil Rights Defenders, have criticized the measure as arbitrary for allowing revocation based on non-criminal behavior.
Parliament also passed a related reporting law requiring certain government workers to notify police of encounters with illegal immigrants.
