Latest news with #MigrationAgency
Local Sweden
2 days ago
- Politics
- Local Sweden
How many Swedish citizenship applicants have been called to in-person ID checks?
Just over 2,000 letters have so far been sent out to Swedish citizenship applicants, inviting them to book a mandatory in-person identity check at the Migration Agency. Advertisement The ID checks are part of Sweden's new security measures for citizenship applications, which were rolled out by the Migration Agency in April on the government's request. But because the routines for the appointments hadn't yet been set up by the time the new security checks came into effect, Sweden went almost two months without the agency being able to approve any citizenship through naturalisation cases at all. In late May they finally got under way, and so far just over 2,000 appointment letters have been sent out to applicants, a Migration Agency spokesperson told The Local. 'They are being sent out on a daily basis,' he said. The letters, seen by The Local, include information on how to book an appointment through the 'Min Sida' page on the Migration Agency's website, as well as details of which documents the applicant should bring to the appointment. TAKE A CLOSER LOOK: What's in the appointment letter for Swedish citizenship? Applicants have eight weeks from the date the letter is sent to book an appointment or contact the Migration Agency, otherwise they risk their application being denied. Advertisement The letter is sent out by post once an applicant reaches the final stages of their citizenship application. The booking page is currently open to everyone, but only those who have received the letter inviting them to book a time slot should do so. The extra security checks, which also include 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. 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. Sweden's Migration Minister, Johan 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". Advertisement 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 24 months.
Local Sweden
2 days ago
- Politics
- Local Sweden
Iranians stuck in Sweden rush to extend temporary visas and permits
The Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) has received a flood of applications from Iranian citizens hoping to get their temporary visas extended. Advertisement The night before June 13th Israel launched a series of attacks on Iran. The day after the Swedish Migration Agency labelled it a 'special incident' – a term used when a public authority sets up a special task force to deal with unexpected or major incidents. 'Iranians started to contact us about their visas and expired residence permits,' Migration Agency departmental head Sara Åhman told the TT news agency. The western, northern and southern parts of Iranian airspace closed as a result of the current conflict. The international airport in Tehran also closed, which means Iranian nationals in Sweden have had little choice but to try to find a way to stay put. They include, for example, Iranians who are in Sweden as tourists, visiting family in Sweden or who are in the country to study or work, with a permit set to expire. Advertisement Last year, the Migration Agency made a decision on (and approved) 31 visa extensions for Iranian citizens. In the past two weeks alone they have processed 28 such cases. And last year 157 cases regarding residence permit extensions for Iranian visitors were processed. In the past two weeks the agency has processed 30 such applications. 'It's not a huge number of cases, but the figures would not have looked like this if the situation around the world looked different,' said Åhman.
Local Sweden
5 days ago
- Business
- Local Sweden
Swedish Migration Minister: 'Sweden can't wait for international talent'
Sweden's Migration Minister Johan Forssell has highlighted nine ways the country is trying to improve the situation for foreign talent in an opinion piece in Dagens industri, co-authored with representatives from major Swedish companies. Advertisement 'If Sweden is going to be a leading country for innovation and a hub for cutting edge expertise, we need to take concrete steps to actively attract and retain top international talent,' Forssell wrote in an opinion piece titled "Sweden can't wait for international talent", co-authored with members of the business council he set up late last year. The council is made up of experts from companies and organisations such as Katarina Berg from On (previously Spotify), MajBritt Arfert (previously Ericsson), Masih Yazdi (previously SEB) and Ellinor Johansson from Embracer. 'The debate has had a singular focus on asylum seekers,' they wrote in the opinion piece. 'We want to broaden that picture and shift the focus from low- to high-skilled labour. Immigration is also about Sweden's competitiveness. It's about people who want to work, invest and build a future in our country.' Forssell and the business council listed nine measures which they believe strengthen Sweden's ability to position itself as a destination for foreign talent. New fast-track for highly qualified labour migrants and researchers The first of the nine measures is the fast-track for work permit holders and researchers which was implemented in 2024. This scheme, the brainchild of former Migration Agency director Mikael Ribbenvik, who described it to The Local as his 'baby', has cut the processing time for complete applications from over 100 days to an average of 18. Make it easier to change jobs Under current rules, anyone who changes jobs – even if that's a promotion within the same company – needs to apply for an entirely new work permit. In the opinion piece, Forssell writes that the government is putting forward legislation to change this. This legislation, based on an EU directive, was announced earlier in June and has a suggested implementation date of May 21st, 2026. Advertisement Longer permits for trial employment As part of the same proposal mentioned above, the government is also working on changing the rules so it can grant longer permits even if the work permit applicant has only got a contract for a six-month trial period. Better service for employers The government has also instructed the Migration Agency to improve the support it provides to employers when it comes to work permits, including information before and after an application and also, the opinion piece reads, by 'developing the digital tool used by the applicant and the employer'. Digital passport controls for workers and students Another measure which is already in force is the Migration Agency's digital ID checks for people from certain countries, which allows applicants to show ID using the digital ID app Freja instead of having to travel with their passport in person to a Swedish embassy. 'This means simplified processing, and according to the Migration Agency has saved trips equivalent to 86 journeys around the world.' Make it easier for researchers and doctoral students Researchers and doctoral students have been adversely affected by Swedish migration policy in recent years, with the SULF university union recently criticising the Migration Agency for "false advertising and mixed messaging about migration policy", accusing it of misleading applicants about their immigration prospects. In the opinion piece, Forssell and the business council write that the government is 'preparing proposals that, among other things, involve improved opportunities to apply for a permanent residence permit and extended permit periods to seek employment after completing doctoral-level research or studies". Advertisement Set a common national direction As part of Sweden's plans to better position itself to foreign immigrants, the authors of the opinion piece argue that Sweden needs a 'common direction', which it suggests should be titled 'Work in Sweden'. They add that the government has already started working on this 'long-term cross-agency' initiative, which is designed to ensure more coordination between different government agencies. Sweden's brand Forssell and the business council also call for more marketing of 'brand Sweden', which among other things includes a government order to the Swedish Institute to develop a strategy for a 'stronger and more positive image of Sweden,' focusing on innovation and quality of life. Partnerships with business sector Finally, the last measure listed in the opinion piece is increased partnerships with the business sector, with the authors writing that 'business and politics need to have a close dialogue.' As part of this, they state that the government will hold 'regular advisory talent forums' with relevant groups in order to make sure that reforms meet the needs of Swedish companies. What do you think? Do you agree with Forssell's nine measures or is there anything else you would add? Let us know in the comments (please note that the iOS app is currently experiencing tech glitches which cause some comments to disappear – we're working on fixing this and in the meantime comments should all be visible on desktop computers and the Android app).
Local Sweden
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Local Sweden
How many people were granted Swedish citizenship in May?
No more than 15 naturalisation applications were approved during Sweden's recent citizenship freeze, statistics reveal. But the processing of cases is hopefully picking up pace. Advertisement A total of nine citizenship applications through naturalisation were approved in the month of May, according to figures from the Migration Agency. In April, as The Local was the only Swedish news site to report, six such applications were granted. To put it into perspective: between January and March, Sweden approved more than 4,200 naturalisation cases every month, on average. '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 962 citizenship through notification cases (an easier route available mainly to children and Nordic citizens) were approved in May, as well as 68 applications for retaining one's citizenship (for example Swedes born abroad) and 36 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 in court. Courts were able to process appeals as normal in April and May. Statistics for the month of June will be publicly available from mid-July. 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. Here's a table which shows how many citizenship cases have been granted in 2025, per nationality: In the second half of May, the Migration Agency said it had begun 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. 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. Advertisement 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. 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". Advertisement 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 24 months.
Local France
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Local France
How alarmed should we be about Europe's tightening citizenship rules?
In recent months, several countries in Europe have announced plans, or said they are at least considering, new rules on obtaining citizenship. In Sweden, an inquiry recently proposed extending the residency requirement to eight years from the current five, and since April 1st, the Migration Agency has toughened security checks on applicants, which led to a temporary freeze on the processing of applications . Sweden has also talked of introducing language and civics tests for citizenship applicants. Last year, Finland extended the required residency period for naturalisation from five to eight years and shortened the time limits for allowed absence. In Germany, the new government has passed a bill to scrap the fast-track path to citizenship, which requires only three years of residence for people considered "highly integrated". The bill, which still needs the approval of the Bundestag, reverses part of the citizenship reform adopted in 2024. In Italy, a referendum aiming to reduce the residency requirement to get citizenship didn't receive enough participation to be valid. Separately, the parliament recently adopted new rules that limit to two generations the possibility to obtain citizenship by ancestry . In Denmark authorities hiked the citizenship fee by 50 percent on May 1st. Months earlier the country's Immigration Ministry also appointed an expert panel to look into the possibility of screening applicants for views considered 'antidemocratic'. Elsewhere in the Nordics, Norway will hold a general election in September, and both the Conservative Party and Progress Party, which could form a right-wing coalition, said they want to tighten citizenship requirements. Advertisement In France, where the anti-immigration far-right has been growing in popularity in recent years, the country's Interior M inister Bruno Retailleau t alked of his plans to 'toughen up' the citizenship regime , including the possible addition of a history and civic test. Nationality reforms were also at the centre of the political agenda in the Netherlands, where the far-right government, which has recently collapsed, wanted to increase the residence requirement from five to ten years. A similar plan to lengthen the residency qualification period has been taken by the Labour government in the UK, as part of proposals to further tighten immigration rules. Why so many changes? Professor Maarten Vink, Chair of Citizenship Studies at the Robert Schuman Centre, European University Institute in Florence, suggested citizens around Europe shouldn't be too alarmed at all the tightening and changing of the rules. 'It is quite common that countries change citizenship rules every couple of years," Vink said. 'We are in a democracy, so if in elections the political balance shifts, it is normal that this is reflected in legislation. When migration is a very important topic in politics, issues that are related to migration, such as citizenship, are also part of this dynamic,' he said. Professor Vink said that citizenship laws in Europe have recently been 'more dynamic than in other parts of the world', although 'changes go in different directions.' Advertisement Dual citizenship The most significant trend that has emerged, and is 'unidirectional', he argued, is the acceptance of dual citizenship. 'Back in the 1960s, most countries around the world restricted dual citizenship because this was seen as a problem of loyalty and allegiance, especially at times of more warfare and military conscription," said Vink. Although exceptions remain in Austria, the Netherlands, the Baltic countries and several Eastern European states, this is an area that has seen 'a very clear liberalisation trend globally and in Europe'. Vink said this was partly driven by migration as more people moved and built a life in another country and maintained family ties to the country where they came from, or where their parents and grandparents came from. Another factor was gender equality. Advertisement 'In the past, a woman marrying a man from another country would automatically become a citizen of that country, or lose hers, and the children would be only citizen of the father's country. Recognising a woman and a man as both independent in citizenship law, as it happened in all European countries, allowed for the creation of mixed citizenship families,' he explained. Vink points out that even the new German government, which has proposed a step back on the "modernisation'" of citizenship laws by removing a fast-track procedure , has agreed to maintain the main elements of the landmark 2024 reform – the acceptance of dual citizenship and the reduction of the residency requirement from eight to five years. Developments in family law also affect citizenship, for example with the right to transmit citizenship from the non-biological parent to a child in a same-sex family. 'Scandinavian countries have been very proactive in incorporating these family law elements in citizenship law, while in countries like Italy there are still restrictions,' Vink said. Crucially most governments in Europe can't just do anything they want when it comes to citizenship laws In most European countries the area is also regulated via the European Convention on Nationality , signed in 1997 under the Council of Europe (not an EU institution). Some 29 European countries signed the Convention, but 8 (Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Poland and Russia) have not ratified it. For example under the rules set by the convention, the residence requirement for citizenship cannot exceed 10 years, an upper limit that is met by all European countries, with the most common requirement set at 5 years.
