|Published on: 15th May 2025|Categories: News|
The updated AIDA Country Report on Sweden provides a detailed overview on legislative and practice-related developments in asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum applicants and content of international protection in 2024. It is accompanied by an annex which provides an overview of temporary protection.
A number of key developments drawn from the overview of the main changes that have taken place since the publication of the update on 2023 are set out below.
Statistics
- Asylum applications and decisions at first instance: 9,634 preliminary applications for international protection were lodged in Sweden in 2024 (a decrease of 23% from 2023). There were also 6,830 subsequent applications. The in-merit protection rate at first instance was 40% (up from 34% in 2023). At the same time, there was a backlog of 3,685 pending cases at the end of 2024 (down from 5,229 at the end of 2023) while the average length of proceedings was 187 days in 2024 (down from 195 in 2023).
Legislative reforms and proposals
- New Pact on Migration and Asylum: The government submitted its national implementation plan to the European Commission in December 2024. It identified issues relating to screening and border procedures, and the new Eurodac system as requiring the most thorough analysis and resources.
- The Government platform agreement: A 2022 agreement between the three parties that form the government and the Sweden Democrats (Tidö Agreement) set out various actions to be undertaken to restrict the rights of asylum seekers to a minimum level in accordance with international obligations. Several legal amendments relating to its provisions came into effect in 2024 and several government inquiries concerning other restrictions were completed.
- The situation for undocumented people: A legislative proposal adopted in March 2025 introduced a number of changes for undocumented people, including: (i) an extension of the period during which a return decision remains valid (remaining enforceable for as long as the individual remains in Sweden); (ii) longer re-entry bans; and (iii) the removal of the possibility to switch from an asylum application to a work permit application. The law entered into force in April 2025 and does not include any transitional provisions.
Asylum procedure
- Swedish Migration Agency’s assessments of asylum cases: Analysis of the Swedish Migration Agency’s assessments of asylum cases was published by the Swedish Agency for Public Management in October 2024. It indicated signs of deficiencies, suggesting that the agency was struggling to maintain consistency and legal certainty in asylum assessments, as decisions varied significantly across the country.
Reception conditions
- Housing: A new regulation which entered into force in March 2025 provides, inter alia, that (i) asylum applicants are only entitled to financial assistance if they reside in the asylum accommodation assigned to them by the Swedish Migration Agency (with additional authority to verify that they reside at the designated accommodation); and (ii) they must participate in a societal introduction programme. In October 2024, an inquiry proposed additional obligations for asylum applicants, including participating in attendance checks at their accommodation, remaining within the county where the accommodation is located, complying with a reporting obligation to the Swedish Migration Agency, facing reduced daily allowances if they leave the county or fail to comply with their individual reporting obligation. It also proposed a six-month time limit before asylum applicants can gain access to the labour market, a change in the method of calculation of the daily allowance and the reinstatement of the right to accommodation and daily allowance to all individuals subject to deportation orders. It is envisaged that the changes will take effect in October 2026.
Detention of asylum applicants
- Detention: In early 2024, an inquiry proposed further restrictions for visitors, room searches, increased surveillance and increased security checks. Although the Swedish parliament was expected to vote on the legislation in 2024, this was postponed and it is now envisaged that the changes will take effect in July 2025.
Content of international protection
- Citizenship: In January 2025, an inquiry proposed stricter requirements for acquiring Swedish citizenship, including a longer period of residence in Sweden (increased from five to eight years), more stringent requirements for demonstrating good conduct and a requirement for financial self-support. The proposed changes are currently under consultation and it is envisaged that they will take effect in June 2026.
- Work permits: Proposals to restrict the conditions for low-skilled labour migration while promoting high-skilled labour migration were published in February 2024. They included a further increase in the income requirement and the possibility of exempting certain professions and both researchers and recent graduates from the salary threshold. The proposed changes are currently under consultation and it is envisaged that they will take effect in June 2025.
- Residence permits: In April 2025, an inquiry tasked with assessing the legal possibilities to deny and withdraw residence permits due to dishonourable conduct or other reasons made the following proposals: (i) a fundamental requirement of good conduct should be reintroduced into the Aliens Act for the assessment of whether an individual should be permitted to enter or reside in Sweden; and (ii) an individual’s dishonourable conduct may constitute grounds for refusing or revoking a residence permit not based on EU law. It is envisaged that the changes will take effect in July 2026.
Repatriation
- Voluntary repatriation: In August 2024, a committee tasked with examining incentive structures for voluntary repatriation concluded that high financial incentives could increase the rate of repatriation but also risk undermining integration efforts. The government proposed a substantial increase in the repatriation grant for 2026 (up to SEK 350,000 per person). The committee’s conclusions have not yet resulted in any changes.
Resettlement
- Resettled refugees: As per the Tidö Agreement, Sweden reduced the number of accepted resettled refugees to 900 per year in 2024 (down from 5,000 in 2022). However, 959 refugees were resettled in Sweden in 2024 (a significant increase from 297 in 2023).
Temporary protection
- Statistics: 10,646 first time applications for temporary protection were registered in 2024 (down from 11,401 in 2023). The Swedish Migration Agency took decisions on 10,743 first time applications and the protection rate was 99% for the cases examined on the merits (10,035).
- Asylum and expulsion enforcement: In December 2023, the Swedish Migration Agency published a legal position to re-start decision-making in ordinary asylum cases relating to Ukraine.
- Scope: In December 2023, the personal scope of temporary protection was extended with the effect that Ukrainian nationals who applied for asylum prior to 30 October 2021 and have been staying legally in Sweden since then are also included.
The full report is available here and the annex on temporary protection is available here.
For more information about the AIDA database or to read other AIDA reports, please visit the AIDA website.
