The government is today sending out a proposal for consultation on raising the requirement for self-sufficiency in order for a person with a temporary or permanent residence permit to bring a relative to Sweden.
We are moving away from a policy that in many ways has been almost undemanding and that has created major problems, says Forssell.
The purpose of the tightening is for more people to support themselves and thus facilitate integration.
When relatives come to Sweden, they have all too often ended up in exclusion, overcrowding and passivity, says Forssell.
More tightenings
Today, an income equivalent to the amount you are allowed to keep when you are subject to wage garnishment by the Swedish Enforcement Authority is required, a kind of subsistence minimum, and that you can pay your actual housing costs.
The government's proposal means that the portion corresponding to the reserved amount in the event of foreclosure will be increased by 30 percent. Such an increase would mean a maintenance requirement of SEK 13,285 for a couple without children instead of SEK 10,219. In addition, there is the requirement to be able to pay their housing costs.
The government also wants to tighten the type of income that is approved. Income from subsidized employment, unemployment benefits, activity support and other benefits linked to unemployment will no longer be counted.
Other austerity measures
The government also plans to move forward with proposals for other restrictions that an inquiry put forward in September, such as requiring that anyone who wants to bring a relative here must have lived in Sweden for at least two years. However, the inquiry did not advocate raising the support requirement.
It is natural that people who have been granted a residence permit in Sweden want to be reunited with their relatives, but it is very natural that there should also be a home of sufficient size and sufficient support, says Forssell.
Those with refugee status, a smaller proportion of asylum seekers who have been assessed as having a need for protection, will, as is currently the case, be able to avoid the support requirement if they apply for family immigration within three months of arriving in Sweden.
The proposals are intended to come into force in 2027.
