Children who moved to Sweden as dependents of parents with residence permits lose the right to stay on their 18th birthday. They must then meet residence permit requirements independently, or face deportation. This stems from tightened migration rules affecting well-integrated youths.
Tightened migration policies in Sweden mean that youths who arrived as children must leave the country upon turning 18. Since 2021, residence permits are generally temporary, and obtaining them based on family ties has become harder. Opportunities to stay due to compassionate reasons, such as long-term life in Sweden, have significantly decreased.
Maintenance requirements have been sharpened, and parental support no longer suffices. Applying for a work permit requires leaving the country first, and the minimum income threshold for such permits has been raised to an unrealistic level for 18-year-olds. These changes, initiated under Social Democrat governments and continued under the Tidö government, apply retroactively, splitting families who complied with prior rules.
One case is 21-year-old Nadja Vasiljevic, as reported by Sydsvenskan. She arrived in Sweden at age 13 and was studying nursing at Malmö University when forced to leave after becoming an adult. Another is 21-year-old Ayla, who according to Aftonbladet faces deportation to Iran. The Swedish Migration Agency has temporarily halted such deportations due to ongoing protests, as it is not possible to assess protection needs prospectively.
The rules affect youths who speak fluent Swedish, work, or study, despite their integration. Critics view this as a cruel policy rooted in the slogan 'Sweden for the Swedes'.
