Deporting more convicted criminals has been one of the government's most important ambitions during its term of office.
But actually getting them out of the country can be difficult. The police currently have around 430 cases of people who have served their sentences but have not been able to be deported.
These are criminals who have committed repeat or serious crimes such as rape, murder, and drug and weapons offenses.
I would have liked to see there be zero left, says Marcus Nilsson, head of the national border police.
Released
The reasons why they cannot be sent out vary. Some do not want to cooperate, which may be a prerequisite for getting things like passports.
Without travel documents, it is difficult for us to enforce the deportation decision, says Nilsson.
Other convicts claim they need protection and apply for asylum to avoid being deported.
Many also come from countries where enforcement is difficult, such as Iran, Somalia and Afghanistan.
Different countries have different requirements for accepting a person. Some may consider that Sweden has not proven that the person comes from that country, or they require that the person wants to return.
According to the border police chief, those who cannot be deported are usually taken into custody. But some are released.
Then there is a risk of deviating from the whole process and decision, says Marcus Nilsson.
Some may leave the country, or stay away. There is a risk of being exploited in illegal work or committing new crimes.
Trying to figure out
Last year, the police sent 444 people away. Marcus Nilsson does not draw any conclusions from the fact that the number has increased slightly since 2022, but says that it has a lot to do with which cases come in and how complex they are.
But in general, the police say they are working more actively with several countries where there are problems. Last year, liaison officers were sent to countries such as Nigeria, Algeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Morocco to try to sort out practical obstacles on the ground.
Right now, just over 900 foreign citizens who have been sentenced to deportation are serving prison sentences.
We continue to work with countries - but also individuals - to explain that it is not really worth staying in Sweden if you do not have the right to be there, says Marcus Nilsson.
In 2025, the police had 1,346 open cases involving criminally expelled persons.
Of these, 68 percent, approximately 915 people, are still serving prison sentences.
Of those not serving sentences, approximately 431 people, many are citizens of countries where deportations are difficult to enforce.
This is how many foreign citizens sentenced to deportation after committing crimes in Sweden were deported:
2022: 400 people
2023: 340 people
2024: 394 people
2025: 444 people
Source: Police
