Latest news with #JohanForssell
Local Sweden
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Local Sweden
Can Sweden's migration minister survive scandal of son's extremist links?
This week: Minister under pressure over son's white supremacist links, and how bad is the crisis in Sweden's games industry? For Membership+ subscribers: latest on plans to exempt some professions from work permit salary requirements, and readers' Swedish summer tips. Advertisement In this week's episode we talk about revelations that the son of Johan Forssell, Sweden's migration minister, has been active in far-right extremist groups and how the scandal is affecting the government. We also discuss what's behind a recent spate of redundancies in Sweden's games sector, an industry that employs a disproportionately high number of foreign workers. For Membership+ subscribers, we look at how the Migration Agency is handling a request by the government to present a list of professions that could be exempted from work permit salary requirements. And finally, we dig into a list of recommendations from readers of The Local on how best to enjoy the summer holiday season in Sweden. Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange. Advertisement Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode: Politics Working in Sweden Work permits Swedish citizenship You can listen to the free episode here: Or follow Sweden in Focus wherever you listen to podcasts. Advertisement Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcasts Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre. Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription. Advertisement
Local Sweden
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Local Sweden
'I call Sweden home': How foreigners feel about becoming Swedish citizens
Sweden is set to make it significantly harder to become a citizen from next summer, which the government has argued will make citizenship 'mean more' than it does today. So we asked The Local's readers what becoming a Swedish citizen meant to them. Advertisement 'Swedish citizenship is something to be proud of and should be granted to people who have made the effort to become part of our society and who have done the right thing during the time they have been here,' said Migration Minister Johan Forssell about the far-reaching reforms to tighten the requirements for Swedish citizenship, including language tests and extending the timeframe for residency. Becoming a Swedish citizen, he said, should 'mean more'. But what does becoming a Swedish citizen mean to immigrants, and how do those who became citizens under the more lax rules of today feel about their new nationality? The Local received more than 100 responses when we asked our readers how becoming a Swedish citizen made them feel. Out of those who already had citizenship, over half said gaining Swedish citizenship had mainly been a practical decision for them, although more than two fifths described it as both practical and emotional. Only two viewed it as mainly an emotional decision. Malcolm, whose decision to become Swedish was sparked by Brexit making it more stressful having a British passport when travelling in the EU, said he had already lived in Sweden so long by the time he became a citizen that it made no difference. 'I did not feel more Swedish at all. We are what we are. My life here has not changed at all,' he wrote. A Turkish reader who mainly became a citizen to avoid visa hassles, argued that citizenship is less important than how you're treated in terms of integration. 'No one cares about the passport that you have when it comes to how they treat you in this country, in a positive or negative way. You might be born here and lived here for your entire life but can still be asked where you are from if your name is not typically Swedish. On the contrary, you might be treated like a Swede at the Midsummer table in your first month. It completely depends on the people who you're interacting with.' Sulabh, an Indian IT consultant, said becoming a citizen hadn't changed anything on an emotional level for him, and that he still follows Indian news, festivals and cricket. 'The passport doesn't change your face or identity and it seems like even after 20 years of being a Swedish citizen I will be recognised as Indian,' he wrote. Advertisement While most respondents however said citizenship had made them feel more integrated in Sweden, some said that anti-immigration rhetoric and the government's decision to tighten citizenship requirements had instead led to them feeling less at home. 'I am happy I got it in 2024 before all the changes were announced. Eight years' waiting would be demotivating, make one feel unwelcome, sort of,' wrote a finance manager from Slovakia, adding that he had resolved to now learn Swedish. Advertisement Nathan, a Welsh restaurant worker in Malmö and a self-described 'Nordic nerd and Europhile', said becoming an EU citizen again after Brexit had been a relief. 'On how 'Swedish' I feel, it's quite funny, before I became a citizen, being a Nordic nerd, I was way more committed to Sweden and the Swedish way of life,' he wrote, adding that the stricter immigration policies had made him feel less committed. 'Still proud of Malmö, my home city, but less proud of my newly acquired citizenship,' he added. 'Kind of like how the results of the Brexit referendum made me more proud of my Welsh nationality, rather than being British as a whole.' INTERVIEW: Anshuman, from India which doesn't allow dual citizenship, wrote that the constant fear of residency permit changes as well as citizenship of an EU country opening more doors pushed him to give up his Indian citizenship and become a Swedish citizen. 'It is a mixed feeling. I am sad of losing my Indian citizenship but also happy that now I get to travel the world without any restrictions. My kid will have good exposure and access to the world too,' he wrote, just a few days after receiving his citizenship. He wasn't the only reader who mentioned concern over changing immigration rules upending their lives in Sweden as a big part of their decision to apply for citizenship. 'Who wants to sit on a bomb that can go off at any time? I wanted the stability of being allowed to live where I live,' wrote a Ukrainian software engineer in northern Sweden. She described it as mainly a practical decision that didn't change her view of Sweden. 'Why would it? It's a piece of paper (well, plastic) that reduces the friction with bureaucracy. It doesn't say anything about me as a person and doesn't affect my view of myself. I'm still me. Sweden's still Sweden,' she said, adding that it did make her feel less anxious and like she finally could dedicate herself more to the culture. Advertisement Interestingly, even out of the people who said it had been a practical decision, several described being taken aback by their emotional reaction to being granted citizenship. 'Elated, honoured and proud to be accepted as a Swede. I did feel sad about renouncing the nationality of my birth country as it does not allow dual citizenship,' wrote an Indian procurement director, adding it had made him restart learning Swedish. Garun, an Indian banker who has also lived in Australia and the UK, fell in love with Sweden on his first day and had wanted to become a citizen to give his child a better future. He also said gaining citizenship had made him feel elated and proud. 'I earned it because I was not born here,' he wrote. 'After living here for six years, there are certain ways of doing things here and I find myself following them without even thinking. For example I would keep two metres' distance from fellow passengers while waiting at the bus stop and would not say anything if someone breaks the queue.' Kris, a British photographer in Gothenburg for whom the decision was both emotional and practical, also spoke of citizenship feeling like the reward for him choosing to make Sweden his home, learning the language and buying a house. 'I travel a lot and, on a purely practical level, navigating Landvetter is a lot easier when you can go into the EU passport queue. But I also wanted to become a citizen because I'm committed to my life here. This is my home. And the football team is better so I have more chance at enjoying tournaments now,' he wrote. KEY POINTS: Some respondents felt like becoming a Swedish citizen meant giving up part of themselves, but others argued that on the contrary, their identity became richer. 'It could be a difficult choice emotionally, as it might feel like leaving a part of my Indian identity behind. However, I see it more as adding to my identity rather than replacing it. It's a practical decision for my family's future in Sweden while still cherishing my roots in India,' wrote one reader from southern India, who became a citizen in 2024. Advertisement Tom, a nurse from Uganda, wrote that applying for citizenship back in 2002 had felt like a 'breath of fresh air' and had changed how he viewed his contribution to society. Another reader, also from Uganda, responded yes to a question about whether becoming a citizen had changed how she viewed Sweden and herself. 'I was stateless for five years and having a state belonging was so important as a human being. I call Sweden home and feel an obligation to love my country.' But feeling conflicted about dual citizenship wasn't uncommon among respondents. 'Before getting my citizenship I didn't think about how it might make me feel and it never occurred to me that I would have any particular feelings. I was just focused on getting the citizenship for the practical purposes (yay for having an EU passport),' wrote Diane, a teacher in Dalarna, originally from Canada, who got citizenship in 2022. 'While I was very excited to use my Swedish passport for the first time and attend the citizenship ceremony, I had a really strong feeling of 'I'm a Swede!' when I came back to work after the summer holiday and my name badge had been updated to include the Swedish flag. Recently, I've been having a mental crisis after someone asked me my nationality and I just answered Canadian. Do I keep saying Canadian because that's where I grew up? Or do I say Swedish-Canadian? I think I need to spend some time really thinking about how I feel being Swedish and where that fits into my identity.' Advertisement Juan, a software developer from Colombia, said he was also looking forward to discovering what gaining citizenship meant to him and his place in Sweden. 'I can truly say I like Sweden. I believe in its societal values (for the most part) and I feel my personality is more suited to Sweden than my own country,' he wrote. 'That being said I'm warming up to all Sweden has to offer, especially culturally. There is still much to experience here. However, I have been working with the goal of citizenship which, I see now, was a narrowly viewed goal, especially now that I am a citizen.'
Local Sweden
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Local Sweden
How many people were granted Swedish citizenship in June?
New statistics reveal that the Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) is again approving Swedish citizenship applications, although still not at the same pace as before new security checks came into force. Advertisement Sweden approved a total of 759 citizenship applications through naturalisation in the month of June, according to figures from the Migration Agency. That will come as welcome news to many applicants currently waiting in the queue, after only 15 such applications were granted over the course of April and May. Although the figures indicate that the processing of applications is again picking up pace after the 'citizenship freeze' this spring, they are still not back at normal levels – the monthly average of granted citizenships was over 4,200 in January-March. 'Naturalisation cases' are the standard kinds of applications by an adult foreigner who wishes to become a Swedish citizen and they make up by far the majority of cases. A total of 678 citizenship through notification cases (an easier route available mainly to children and Nordic citizens) were approved in June, as well as 30 applications for retaining one's citizenship (for example Swedes born abroad) and 34 so-called citizenship declarations (for people who don't know whether they are citizens). The figures include applications granted by the Migration Agency itself and those granted on appeal in court. July data will be publicly available from mid-August. Advertisement As The Local reported at the time, the Migration Agency was unable to approve citizenship through naturalisation cases for almost two months in spring, because it hadn't yet fully set up its routines for the in-person identification required of applicants after the government ordered the agency to step up security checks as of April 1st. All nationalities were affected by the freeze, despite Migration Minister Johan Forssell's pledge to The Local's readers in January that work permit holders and people from countries without security risks would be unaffected by extra security delays. In the second half of May, the Migration Agency began contacting citizenship applicants to book in-person identify checks, effectively ending the freeze. Applicants who are at the final stages of their application will receive a letter inviting them to book a time for a 'personal appearance' at any of eight Migration Agency offices: Malmö, Växjö, Gothenburg, Norrköping, Örebro, Sundbyberg, Sundsvall or Boden. Those who haven't been invited to such a visit should not book a time. READ ALSO: It was initially reported that certain nationalities with biometric passports would be exempt and would instead be able to confirm their identity digitally via the Freja app, but as The Local has previously reported, the technological solution for that isn't yet in place, so for the time being, all applicants have to turn up for a personal meeting, regardless of their nationality. The extra stage in the process, which also includes applicants being sent an 11-page questionnaire with additional security questions, is the result of an order from the government and its far-right Sweden Democrat allies in January for the Migration Agency to take "forceful measures" to "as far as possible" prevent people who pose a threat to security or use a fake identity from being granted citizenship. Advertisement Experts had previously guessed that security checks would be tightened as a pretext of slowing down the awarding of new citizenships until stricter rules are in place in 2026 – a slowdown strongly hinted at by the government in an opinion piece in the DN newspaper in November. Forssell later denied that the underlying intention was to slow down citizenship applications, telling the TT news agency that the point was only "to prevent people who pose a threat to security from being granted Swedish citizenship". However, the extra checks are still expected to cause delays. In October 2024, the agency predicted that it would conclude 87,000 applications each year in 2025 and 2026, thanks to increased staff at the agency – a first step towards reducing the heavily criticised long waiting times for Swedish citizenship. But the new security checks forced the agency in April to lower its previous estimate by more than a quarter: to 64,000 concluded citizenship cases in 2025 and 65,000 in 2026. According to the Migration Agency, 75 percent of recently concluded cases involving adults received a decision within 25 months.
Local Sweden
14-07-2025
- Business
- Local Sweden
Work permits and tariffs: What changes in Sweden in August 2025?
A much-awaited list which could change Sweden's work permit salary threshold is set to be published, we'll get a closer look at possible new rules for family reunification, and it's back to work for a lot of people. Here are the main things changing in Sweden in August. Advertisement Which jobs will be exempt from Sweden's work permit salary threshold? The Migration Agency is set to present its list of proposed exceptions to the work permit salary threshold to the government by August 1st. They won't come into force on that date, but it means that we should have more information about which professions could be included. To be eligible for a work permit, you currently need to earn at least 80 percent of the median salary. The government plans to raise the work permit threshold for new permits to 100 percent of the median salary (37,100 kronor), with exemptions for some categories of workers. This is still winding its way through the legislative process, which means it is not yet a done deal. The proposed starting date for the widely criticised proposal was originally June 1st, 2025, but that deadline wasn't met. Sweden's Migration Minister Johan Forssell told The Local in May that 'no formal decision' has been made on where the final salary threshold will actually end up. Trump tariffs? US President Donald Trump is threatening to hammer the European Union with 30 percent tariffs if no agreement is reached by August 1st. The EU's trade chief Maros Sefcovic said ahead of a meeting on July 14th that despite Trump's latest threat he "felt" Washington was ready to continue negotiating – and he planned to speak with his US counterparts. Sefcovic, who is leading talks on behalf of the EU's 27 states, said reaching a deal remained the priority – while acknowledging calls from countries including key power France for the bloc to flex its muscles in negotiations. Advertisement Sweden set to ban AR-15 semi-automatic rifles for hunting The Swedish government and the Sweden Democrats earlier this summer agreed to ban AR-15 semi-automatic rifles for hunting. The ban on the weapons means that police will no longer be allowed to issue hunting licenses for AR-15s from August 1st. Hunters who already have a licence for an AR-15 will have two years to meet the requirements for a sport shooting licence if they wish to keep their gun, otherwise they will have to sell it or trade it in to the government for 100 percent of the market value. AR-15s which are not traded in voluntarily will be confiscated. The rifles were approved by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency for hunting usage back in 2023, with thousands of hunters now holding licenses. Advertisement Back to school... and work Swedes start heading back to the office after their summer holidays, with Monday July 28th and Monday August 4th likely to be the big return days this year. The majority of workers take at least a couple of weeks off during July, with many taking three or even four. This means that replies to all those unanswered emails you've sent over the last month will start ticking into your inbox as people return to their desks. The autumn semester in schools and universities gets under way in August and early September, although the exact date depends on where in Sweden you live. Tighter rules for family reunification An inquiry looking into tightening immigration rules for those wishing to join family members in Sweden is set to present its conclusions in a report by August 25th. This could affect people with residence permits for things like asylum, work or studies. It is expected to look into tightening the rules for people applying to join Swedish citizens, limiting which family members can join asylum seekers in Sweden – this currently varies depending on the type of permit the person in Sweden holds – and assess whether the current maintenance requirement should be further tightened, or introduced for certain permits where it is not currently required. In addition to this, it will look into the possibility of introducing a requirement for applicants to take out full coverage health insurance in order to qualify for a permit, and assess whether DNA analysis should be used "to a greater extent", for example in order to prove that family members are actually related. Advertisement Sweden's Riksdag committees begin to meet again While parliament doesn't have its official opening until September 9th, there are a series of debates where ministers answer MPs' questions starting from August 21st, with some parliamentary committees also starting to meet in the last week of the month. Events and traditions There are a couple of festivals happening this month – music festival Way out West in Gothenburg from August 7th-9th, and Malmöfestivalen between August 8th and 15th. Unfortunately there are no public holidays in August, although this doesn't mean there's nothing to celebrate. The crayfish season officially starts on August 7th this year, so be prepared for crayfish-themed decorations to start popping up in your local supermarket, and find some friends (preferably with access to a summer house) to hold your very own kräftskiva (crayfish party). As with most Swedish celebrations, expect drinking songs, lots of snaps, crispbread, cheese, and most likely some sort of västerbottenpaj – a quiche featuring Sweden's favourite cheese, västerbottensost. Here's our guide to six essential Swedish drinking songs for crayfish party season.
The Guardian
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
A rightwing minister told Sweden to get tough on crime – until his own son was caught in a Nazi scandal
Before the elections next year, Sweden's conservative government has been eager to avoid accusations of racism or xenophobia. So it's unfortunate that it keeps being plagued by scandals involving both. The Swedish investigative magazine Expo revealed earlier this month that a minister in the governing coalition, whom it did not name, had a close family member active in violent far-right and neo-Nazi groups. The family member had, Expo claimed, participated in activities with a far-right network classified as a terrorist group by the US. For almost two weeks the minister's name swirled around social media, but all the major news outlets in Sweden refused to publish it, claiming they were protecting the identity of a minor who had not chosen a life in the public eye. This week the migration minister, Johan Forssell, was finally outed after being called to a hearing in the Riksdag, the Swedish parliament, to answer questions about the scandal – and his teenage son. Eventually he showed up for an interview with Sweden's national news channel, TV4, in which he said he was 'shocked and horrified' by the discovery. The revelation that the scandal involved Forssell is particularly remarkable, since he has built a reputation on claims that parental responsibility is the only real way to prevent crime. He has also suggested parents should be held legally accountable for the crimes of their children. While Forssell's son is not suspected of any crime, he is alleged to have attended in-person meetings with at least two neo-Nazi groups. In one picture published by the magazine, he appears to make a Nazi salute. In an internal chat, the son wrote: 'We must get rid of the imported violence' and 'it's time for Europeans to fight back!', according to Expo. Awkwardly for Forssell, an MP for the Moderate party led by the prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, he has generally advocated for the most radical shift towards punitive policies in Swedish criminal justice in decades, including harsher punishment for minors. And in social media posts, Forssell has claimed that the leftwing opposition is in denial about the role of 'parental responsibility as a method for crime prevention'. The best way to prevent criminality, he has insisted, is 'attentive parents who give their children love and set clear boundaries'. Now the minister wants us to accept that he was clueless that his own child was reportedly active online in neo-Nazi groups, let alone implicated in a violent extremist group with international ties. Despite the potential risks for Sweden's national security, Forssell's party colleagues repeatedly downplayed the scandal. The justice minister, Gunnar Strömmer, simply ignored a question about it, saying he didn't have an opinion on the issue. A leading Stockholm conservative in the Moderate party, Iréne Svenonius, claimed that the real scandal was that news media reported it at all; it was a 'new low', she said. Another former Moderate party MP made light of the story, saying, falsely, that this was just a teenager 'posting some memes'. Ebba Busch, the deputy prime minister, said it was a 'sign of strength' for Forssell to 'voluntarily make this information public'. But this was the opposite of what actually happened: Forssell and his party colleagues had frantically tried to hide the story, hoping he would be able to remain anonymous. A local newspaper, Västerbottens-Kuriren, published Forssell's name in an editorial, but officials in the Moderate party called not just the publisher but also the individual writer to complain. Such explicit intervention is highly controversial in a country where the government is supposed to respect the independence of the press. Despite Forssell's long public record of blaming parents for the sins of their children, he took no direct responsibility when finally confronted in the TV interview. Instead, he seemed keen to shift the blame from parents to online platforms, asking: 'What is social media doing to our children?' While his own social media accounts have countless negative posts about migrants, the minister casts himself as a passive victim of circumstances. 'Sometimes, things go wrong,' he shrugged. Forssell says he has no intention of resigning. But the timing of this scandal is inconvenient to say the least for Sweden's conservatives, whose governing coalition is backed by the far-right Sweden Democrats. For many years, as they pursued harsh immigration policies and tough-sounding rhetoric, xenophobic statements bounced off nationalist politicians in terms of political support. But rightwing parties are now falling significantly behind in national polls. As a voting bloc they are almost 10 points behind the centre-left opposition and they have lost most of their support among young voters. The governing parties and their allies seem to realise that accusations of xenophobia can be an electoral liability. In June, the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, which have roots in neo-Nazism, released an internal report about their past, and party leaders apologised to Swedish Jews. This was a transparent effort to convey a more tolerant, mainstream image before the election, when they hope to become a formal part of government. Jimmie Åkesson, the party leader, has said he will only prop up a governing coalition if he can be prime minister. His attempt to clean up the party's image is already in trouble, however. When Mahmoud Khalfi, the chair of the Islamic Association, suggested the Sweden Democrats should also apologise to the country's Muslim population, an influential voice in the Sweden Democrats, the MP Richard Jomshof, launched a vicious attack on Khalfi and Islam, which he called a 'hateful ideology'. Khalfi should be 'thrown out of Sweden, head first', Jomshof said. A government that claims to take concerns over crime, safety and national security seriously while ignoring far-right extremism will struggle with credibility. Sweden has a long tradition of refusing to face up to its racism – past and present. But racism could still decide the next election. Martin Gelin writes for the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
