Swedish migration minister rejects claims of pressure over teen deportation proposal

Sweden’s migration minister Johan Forssell (Moderate Party) has dismissed opposition claims that the government was forced into a compromise on controversial deportation rules for young adults, telling public broadcaster SVT the proposal had been in development since last year.

The so-called Tidö parties—a coalition of the Moderates, Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats, and Liberals—unveiled the agreement Monday, introducing a new exemption that would allow 18- to 21-year-olds to retain residency permits if they can demonstrate strong family ties in Sweden. But critics argue the conditions remain too restrictive.

Annika Hirvonen, migration policy spokesperson for the Green Party, welcomed the shift but warned the income threshold—33,000 SEK monthly for work permits, with limited exemptions—would exclude most young adults. “Are only those who’ve done everything right covered?” she asked in an SVT Aktuellt debate with Forssell. “What about someone who’s been ill, struggled in school, or can’t find work—should they be torn from their family, their life, their home in Sweden?”

Forssell defended the plan as a “long-term solution” that rewards effort. “If you work hard and do the right thing, you should be rewarded for it,” he said, stressing that the rules were “not an amnesty.” Exemptions to the salary requirement exist, he added, and alternatives like university enrollment would also qualify applicants.

The Green Party has repeatedly accused the government of backtracking under political pressure, a charge Forssell rejected outright. “That’s completely false,” he said. “We began working on this legislation last year.”