Sweden Passes 'Good Behaviour' Law Allowing Deportation of Misbehaving Nigerians, Other Immigrants
- Sweden's parliament approved legislation that allowed authorities to withdraw residence permits from immigrants for certain forms of misconduct, even without criminal convictions
- The new rules extended to existing permit holders and covered offences such as unpaid debts, undeclared work, tax evasion and links to extremist organisations
- The law was introduced as part of the government's broader effort to reduce immigration and strengthen measures aimed at tackling crime
Sweden has approved a new law that gives authorities wider powers to revoke residence permits from immigrants for conduct deemed inconsistent with the country's standards, even when no criminal conviction is involved.
The legislation was passed by parliament on Monday, June 15, and forms part of the government's broader effort to tighten immigration controls and tackle social issues linked to integration and crime.
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Under the new rules as reported by Reuters, foreign nationals from countries including Nigeria, Ghana and others could lose their right to remain in Sweden if they engage in certain forms of misconduct.
The law also applies retroactively, meaning individuals who already hold residence permits may be affected.
What does Sweden's new law cover?
Authorities said residence permits could be withdrawn for actions such as accumulating unpaid debts, participating in undeclared employment, evading taxes or maintaining ties to extremist groups.
The Swedish Migration Agency will be responsible for reviewing cases involving existing permit holders. Those affected will have the right to challenge any decision through the country's migration court system.
The legislation was backed by Sweden's right-wing coalition government and the nationalist Sweden Democrats. Both parties have pushed for stricter immigration measures ahead of the country's parliamentary election scheduled for September.
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Why is Sweden tightening immigration rules?
The government came to power in 2022 after campaigning on promises to reduce immigration levels and strengthen efforts against crime.
Officials have argued that foreign nationals who fail to respect Swedish laws and societal expectations should not be guaranteed continued residency.
“Anyone who doesn’t make the effort to do the right thing shouldn’t be able to count on staying,” Minister of Migration Johan Forssell said when he proposed the bill.
US seeks to strip Nigerian fraud convict of citizenship
In a previously published report, United States authorities have moved to revoke the citizenship of a Nigerian national convicted for his role in a sprawling identity theft and tax fraud operation that targeted hundreds of thousands of victims and sought tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent refunds.
The United States Department of Justice disclosed that it filed a civil complaint seeking to strip Emmanuel Oluwatosin Kazeem of his American citizenship.
Prosecutors alleged that the status was obtained through deception and deliberate concealment of criminal conduct. The complaint was lodged on Wednesday at the US District Court in Baltimore, Maryland
Trump: 2 reasons US suspended Nigerians
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that President Donald Trump disclosed two security and compliance reasons behind the decision to place Nigeria on a fresh list of countries facing new US travel restrictions, following the signing of a proclamation that tightens entry rules for nationals of several nations deemed high risk.
The proclamation, signed on Tuesday, December 16, expanded existing US travel controls to cover 15 additional countries, with Nigeria among those subjected to partial restrictions.
Source: Legit.ng
