Swedish parliamentary majority moves to halt teen deportations and reform citizenship rules

Less than fortnight after Sweden's election, the centre-left bloc, described by Hirvonen as a "new parliamentary majority," has introduced a motion to halt deportations of minors. The parties will call Migration Minister Johan Forssell and the Migration Agency before the Social Insurance Committee on October 12 to fast-track an emergency stop law, while urging the caretaker government to lend its legal expertise. With only seven non-political staff in the committee, they argue that government lawyers could accelerate drafting.

Hirvonen also challenged the minister's claim that three years of legal residence guarantees permanent residency at age 21, labeling it inaccurate. Beyond the teen-deportation freeze, the coalition is reviewing how to protect applicants who filed for citizenship before the stricter June 6 rules, considering a solution that applies previous requirements to those early applicants. Long-term options include reinstating a "particularly distressing circumstances" clause or granting residency based on strong ties to Sweden. The pace of these initiatives will depend on how quickly a new government is formed.