Can Sweden really attract global talent while making citizenship harder?
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Migration Minister Johan Forssell recently claimed in SvD that the opposition lacks answers to questions the government is addressing with tougher citizenship requirements. But the question he himself should answer is how the government intends to reconcile these restrictions with its ambition to attract highly skilled foreign workers to Sweden.
In the debate on labor migration, two crucial perspectives exist: employers and their need for expertise, and the foreign professionals meeting this need. The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise has repeatedly warned that the government's tightening measures, especially higher salary requirements, risk hindering Sweden's long-term growth. Only now is the government beginning to acknowledge that message.
Despite repeated attempts, the government has yet to acknowledge concerns expressed by foreign workers. Our opinion pieces and our official response to the government's citizenship inquiry—signed by nearly 400 labour migrants in the tech sector—have gone unanswered.
READ ALSO: Foreign tech workers campaign against new Swedish citizenship law
In an interview with Sveriges Radio in January, Forssell made it clear, 'Only Swedish citizens have the unconditional right to stay in the country.'
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We are well aware of this. Any shift in policy, economy, or at our employers could force us to leave Sweden at great personal and financial cost. A former Northvolt employee said it best in an interview with Norran last month: "There's nothing that beats stability when you're an immigrant abroad. If you don't have that, you're still in a fight or survival mode."
That is exactly why the government's proposal to extend the residency requirement for citizenship—from five to at least eight years—is so problematic. It means nearly a quarter of a working life would be spent in legal and economic limbo.
At the same time, developments in other European countries are moving in the opposite direction. Where does the government think highly skilled workers would prefer to settle: Sweden, with stricter rules, or Germany, where one can now obtain citizenship after five years—or as low as three with exceptional integration?
To make matters worse, Forssell has argued that no transitional rules should apply. That means people who arrived five years ago, followed all regulations, and paid taxes could suddenly be denied citizenship simply because of the Migration Agency's lengthy processing times.
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Increased economic and legal uncertainty will drive skilled workers to countries offering greater stability. Jobs they would have taken in Sweden will remain unfilled.
For those already here, changing the rules in the middle of the game doesn't just undermine trust—it severs the fragile link between high-skilled migrants and Swedish society. That risks not just failed integration, but a real brain drain.
Sweden naturally has the right to reform its laws. But the Swedish people deserve a government whose reforms are well thought out, economically sustainable, and strengthen Sweden's long-term competitiveness.
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