The proposal comes from government investigators, who were tasked with proposing rules to discourage foreign funding of religious communities and other organizations with links to Islamism, extremism and other anti-democratic movements.
Investigator Michael Målqvist has also attempted to map the extent of the foreign funding, which is said to involve large sums. However, it has been difficult to establish the purpose of the funding.
The proposal means that amounts exceeding SEK 150,000 from foreign financiers must be reported to a new review authority. The contribution will be prohibited if it is considered to have a detrimental effect on Sweden's security and public order.
The investigation also proposes that it should be a criminal offense, among other things, to receive foreign funding exceeding SEK 150,000 without reporting it, or to provide incorrect information about such funding.
The penalty for the crime of unlawful receipt of foreign funding shall be imprisonment for a maximum of two years. In the case of a felony, the penalty is proposed to be a maximum of six years.
A fine of between SEK 25,000 and SEK 25 million may also be imposed on the religious community or civil organization.
The rules are proposed to come into force on 1 January 2028.
