Stockholm, Sweden - Sweden's government announced plans Wednesday to sharply increase the number of immigrants deported after criminal convictions, proposing that any crime carrying a penalty more severe than a fine should normally result in expulsion .
Migration Minister Johan Forssell said the new legislation would require prosecutors to request deportation as part of sentencing, rather than leaving such decisions to discretion . The government estimates the reform could lead to about 3,000 deportations per year - six times the current average of roughly 500 cases annually .
"For far too long in Sweden, foreign criminals who have committed serious crimes in the country have been coddled," Forssell told a news conference .
Under current Swedish law, deportation can only be considered for a foreign national sentenced to at least six months in prison . The proposed changes would remove that threshold and eliminate requirements that prosecutors demonstrate a risk of reoffending .
Courts would still need to assess a person's connection to Sweden when deciding whether deportation should proceed . Factors such as long-term residence, family ties, and integration may still allow some convicted individuals to remain .
The bill will first be sent to Sweden's Council on Legislation, which reviews proposed laws before they go to parliament . Forssell said the government intends for the law to take effect on September 1 .
Sweden has struggled for more than a decade with rising organized violent crime, much of it linked to gang conflicts over drug markets . While deadly shootings have declined recently, bombings have increased, according to official statistics .
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's right-wing coalition, which governs with support from the far-right Sweden Democrats, came to power in 2022 on promises to crack down on immigration and crime . The government has already expanded police powers, introduced harsher sentences, and proposed lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 .
Forssell said the new measures would give Sweden the toughest deportation rules in the Nordic region .
The announcement follows public outrage over several high-profile cases where courts declined to deport convicted criminals. In October 2025, an appeals court ruled against deporting an Eritrean national sentenced to three years for rape, stating the offense did not meet the threshold of "exceptionally grave" required for expulsion . That decision prompted Prime Minister Kristersson to promise stricter laws .
Authorities acknowledge that even with increased deportation orders, enforcement remains challenging. Police have reported difficulty deporting individuals to countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia, where security concerns or lack of cooperation from local governments prevent returns .
The proposed changes are part of a broader migration policy overhaul. Forssell has said the government plans to pass 12 new migration laws before September elections, including measures to tighten citizenship rules, increase self-sufficiency requirements for residency, and introduce "poor conduct" as grounds for denying or revoking permits .
Critics have raised concerns about the treatment of young people who arrived in Sweden as children. Under current rules, individuals who turn 18 before obtaining permanent residency can lose their right to remain even when their families stay . Human rights organizations have called on Sweden to halt deportations that separate young adults from their families .
Forssell acknowledged these concerns Wednesday but said he wants to find a solution for so-called "teen deportation" cases as soon as possible . He rejected suggestions that the government should rush new rules, saying any changes must be legally sound and lasting .
"This is about young people's lives," Forssell said. "I don't want to build in a bunch of new problems" .
The government's proposal comes as Denmark advances similar legislation. Danish authorities have proposed deporting foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes carrying sentences of at least one year, though that plan faces potential conflicts with the European Convention on Human Rights .