The government's bill concerns foreign citizens with deportation orders that cannot be enforced due to temporary obstacles. This primarily concerns foreigners who have been convicted of crimes or are considered to pose a threat to Sweden's security.
In practice, they have been able to continue living and working in Sweden, move freely within the EU and gain access to the Swedish welfare system. They have even been able to receive both housing and child benefits, says Forssell.
Can be banned
Foreign criminals who have been sentenced to deportation after serving their sentence are now granted a residence permit while waiting for their deportation to be enforced. The residence permit usually includes a work permit, registration, certain benefits and the ability to travel within the EU.
The government is now proposing that a residence permit should not be granted in such cases. Instead, the main rule should be that a decision to postpone deportation, known as inhibition, should suffice.
The bill also means that those awaiting deportation can be required to report and be prohibited from leaving a specific area. Anyone who violates the reporting obligation can be sentenced to imprisonment for a maximum of one year.
The persons must also, as a general rule, live in the Swedish Migration Board's accommodation to be entitled to the same daily allowance as asylum seekers.
Getting harder
It will be much harder to stay in Sweden, says Forssell.
An obstacle to carrying out deportation may be that the home country refuses to accept the person to be deported. According to Forssell, however, most people are accepted by their home countries if the deportation is voluntary. The government expects that the tougher conditions will lead to more people not opposing deportation.
But obstacles to deportation can also be the risk of death penalty or torture in the home country, which could mean many years before any change occurs. When asked whether such people should spend their lives in refugee camps, Forssell answers:
Anyone who comes here and commits a crime is simultaneously choosing not to be part of Sweden.
Around 200 people per year are estimated to be covered by the change in law, but the number may accumulate depending on how many can be deported.
