In an attempt to address challenges posed by growing exclusion, Sweden has decided to tighten the conditions for family immigration and restrict the issuance of residence permits for humanitarian reasons.
Announcing the news, the Swedish Ministry of Justice said that in line with the changes made to the Aliens Act, which became effective on December 1, the age limit for denying residence permits based on family ties has been raised from 18 to 21 years.
This adjustment aims to prevent forced marriages, providing enhanced protection for vulnerable individuals, mainly the youth.
Simultaneously, as the Ministry explains, exemptions from the financial support requirements in cases of family immigration, where the dependent person is in need of protection, will see certain restrictions.
In addition to the above-mentioned, the changes also involve the removal of provisions granting residence permits based on particularly distressing situations.
Instead, children will now be eligible for residence permits under such circumstances, even if their situations do not carry the same gravity as those of adults.
Emphasising the immediate need for these changes in light of Sweden’s challenges with growing social exclusion, Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said that recent years had witnessed extensive immigration.
Minister Stenergard further stressed the need for the changes and said that the altered conditions are crucial to breaking the “lack of integration” pattern.
Sweden is facing major challenges with growing exclusion, which recent years’ extensive immigration in combination with a lack of integration has contributed to. Tightening the conditions for family immigration and limiting the possibilities of obtaining a residence permit for humanitarian reasons is important to break and reverse that trend.
While the changes that entered into force on December 1 may appear stringent, the Ministry of Justice underscored their importance in addressing the current challenges that the nation is dealing with.
The changes reflect a commitment to creating a more sustainable and balanced approach to migration, fostering inclusivity while at the same time safeguarding vulnerable individuals.
Sweden has recently also announced plans regarding social benefits for non-EU migrants in an attempt to discourage immigration.
The government of Sweden said that it wants to reduce benefits for immigrants from third countries as the number of those reaching the country has significantly increased.
In addition, the government said that it is also set to introduce reforms requiring those from non-EU countries to learn Swedish and apply for jobs in the country’s labour market, which is dealing with shortages.
