Sweden Considers Citizenship Revocation for Threats to National Security

A cross-party committee in Sweden has proposed legal changes that would enable the revocation of citizenship for dual nationals who commit crimes posing a national security threat. While the governing coalition advocates for broader measures against gang crime, opposition parties caution against potential overreach in defining such threats.

Sweden has recently experienced a significant surge in gang and gun-related crime, prompting a reevaluation of citizenship laws to address these growing concerns. In a notable bipartisan effort, Sweden's political parties have concurred that dual citizens committing crimes threatening national security should face the possibility of losing their citizenship. This development arises from a cross-party committee's recommendations to allow citizenship revocation for individuals who secured their citizenship through bribery or false information, as well as those who commit offenses within the jurisdiction of international criminal law.

However, the proposal does not extend to the minority government's demand for revoking citizenship from gang affiliates. Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer has expressed that Sweden is currently confronting challenges related to violent extremism, hostile state actions, and systemic organized crime. Under current Swedish law, it is not permissible to revoke citizenship, necessitating a parliamentary vote next year to amend these restrictions.

In opposition to this move, centre-left parties argue that defining which crimes are sufficient to justify citizenship revocation could prove problematic. Meanwhile, Sweden's centre-right governing coalition, bolstered by the more extreme anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, aims for these legal adjustments to combat the alarming increase in gang violence and gun killings in the nation.

Strommer highlighted limitations in the current proposals, suggesting they do not sufficiently address the danger posed by gang leaders operating abroad, who continue to orchestrate violence within Sweden. The government points to Denmark's more permissive stance on citizenship revocation as a model, where it is lawful to strip citizenship for acts deemed harmful to state interests, a policy recently expanded to include severe gang-related activities.

In tandem with these proposed changes, the Swedish minority government is also advocating for stricter citizenship application protocols. Migration Minister Johan Forssell noted that last year, law enforcement flagged 600 individuals applying for citizenship as potential risks to national security. As of June 2026, the pathway to obtaining a Swedish passport is projected to require eight years of residency instead of the current five, alongside mandatory tests evaluating knowledge of the Swedish language and societal norms.

Forssell asserted the necessity for a more rigorous approach to citizenship, emphasizing the importance of this status as a point of national pride. The Sweden Democrats’ leader, Jimmie Akesson, has called for further measures, including a loyalty declaration from new citizens, although this suggestion is absent from the committee's recommendations. Inquiry author Kirsti Laakso Utvik suggested that these changes would align Sweden more closely with the policies of other countries in Europe facing similar challenges.