Media have reported several cases where young people who have lived in Sweden for a long time with their families suddenly receive notice that they will be deported alone when they turn 18.
Earlier this week, the Green Party and the Left Party announced that they were submitting a committee initiative to stop teenage expulsions, which the Center Party also supported.
The Social Democrats stated at the same time that they would not join the initiative.
Not “promised”
According to party leader Magdalena Andersson, the government has "promised" to present a solution in the spring, and if so, they are prepared to cooperate on it.
"We demand that the government quickly come up with a proposal like this, as it has promised to do," said Magdalena Andersson at a press conference on Thursday.
However, Johan Forssell denies that the government has promised anything.
"Magdalena Andersson doesn't seem to really have a handle on the legislation here," he says.
"We have received a proposal from an investigator who handles these issues. We are looking at it right now, preparing it, and will come back when we have a response."
He cannot say when this might happen.
The investigator's proposal is that there should continue to be the possibility of granting residence permits in "odd and painful situations", something that could possibly stop some of the deportations described.
SD: Exaggerated
The SD has not taken a position on a valve for teenage deportations, but the party's migration policy spokesperson Ludvig Aspling does not think it is a huge problem.
"Adults who want to live in Sweden should have a residence permit, and they should have a sensible reason for being here - working, studying or living with a partner," he says.
"We may not perceive 18-year-olds as fully adults today in the same way as we did in the past, but in terms of immigration law, I think there is every reason to do so."
The parties have pointed out various reasons for the teenage expulsions. Forssell believes that the root cause is a change in the law in 2016, when time-limited residence permits became the main rule. MP and V have instead highlighted the assessment basis of "particularly painful circumstances", which was removed in 2023.
