Sweden Democrats leader open to halting deportations of young adults

Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson has signalled support for stopping the deportation of young adults who have already received finalised expulsion orders, SVT Nyheter reports.

Speaking on Sunday, Åkesson said he had “no problem” with pausing deportations until new legislation is in place, aligning with the temporary halt already applied to pending cases.

“Without knowing the details of each individual case, it’s fairly obvious that some decisions may not align with general legal principles or common sense,” Åkesson told SVT. He added that if the Migration Agency suspends processing of new cases until updated laws are introduced, “I have no issue with also stopping the enforcement of existing deportation orders until then.”

The statement follows comments by Migration Minister Johan Forssell (Moderate Party), who told Aftonbladet he is working on a solution for the group and that negotiations are in their final stages.

Åkesson clarified he had not participated in those discussions but reiterated his position: “The key is establishing reasonable rules, which authorities can then apply. I assumed the Migration Agency’s pause included those with existing decisions. If not, it should.”

Debate over so-called “teenage deportations” has intensified this spring, with enforcement paused for new cases awaiting legislative changes. However, young adults with finalised orders have continued to be removed from Sweden, prompting calls for broader exemptions.