He emphasizes that it is very early to draw any conclusions about what will happen with the migration flows.
What is important is that we do not repeat the mistakes from 2015 when control over the situation was lost. It must absolutely not happen again, he says.
Forssell points out that the Swedish regulatory framework has changed on several points since 2015 – among other things, temporary residence permits are now the rule and maintenance requirements for family reunification have been tightened.
New laws are delayed
At the same time, many of the measures planned in the government's paradigm shift for migration are still in investigations and legislation is delayed. Forssell notes, however, that the routes taken by refugees and migrants through Europe have also changed.
What happened then (2015) was also that ID checks were introduced, and they can be introduced if there is a need, he says.
The Sweden Democrats want the residence permits of Syrians in Sweden to be revoked, even if Islamists take over in the country.
"Refugee status is by its nature temporary. It is not intended that one should automatically be allowed to stay for the rest of one's life", says Ludvig Aspling (SD) in a written comment on X.
Much still unclear
Forssell emphasizes that it is the Migration Agency that determines when the right to asylum ceases. Already today, not all Syrians receive residence permits in Sweden, he notes, but around 70 percent.
How Syria will develop in the future and what legal positions may become relevant, it is very early to know that, says Forssell.
The Migration Agency's decision to pause the handling of Syrian asylum cases does not surprise him.
"It is common to make this type of decision when there are major changes in a country", he writes in a comment.
