In their coalition agreement, signed on October 14, 2022, the Swedish right and far-right expressed their intention to study the possibility of expelling foreign citizens for "misconduct." "Anyone in Sweden enjoying Swedish hospitality has an obligation to respect the [country's] fundamental values and not to disrespect the population in their actions," the text stated.

As promised, on Tuesday, November 21, the conservative immigration minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, along with representatives of the other three majority parties, announced her government's plan to include "an honorable lifestyle" as a condition for obtaining and retaining a residence permit. "For integration to be successful, people who wish to live in Sweden must respect basic standards and live in an honest and decent way," she said.

A former judge, Robert Schött, has been tasked with assessing the criteria that could be envisaged and how the project might comply with European legislation. He is due to deliver his conclusions by January 15, 2025. The government's ambition is evident as it seeks to broaden the reasons for potential expulsion, extending beyond criminal convictions, to encompass what they refer to as a "dishonest lifestyle." Currently, a court conviction is required to justify the withdrawal of a residence permit.

In a bid to define this somewhat vague concept, the minister responsible for equality, Paulina Brandberg - who belongs to The Liberals, a conservative-liberal party, gave a few examples. These included benefit fraud, abuse of the welfare system, and being in debt "to society or to a private individual." Another criterion would be having links with or belonging to "criminal networks, clans, violent or extremist organizations or groups that threaten Sweden's fundamental values."

Additionally, supporting oneself "dishonestly" – for example, by working illegally – could also lead to the suspension of a residence permit, as could "substance abuse," although the immigration minister insisted that situations of "addiction" would be "taken into consideration." Although prostitution was mentioned in the coalition agreement, it does not feature in the draft. "We are not seeking to expel vulnerable people, but rather those who exploit them," Stenergard emphasized.

Finally, the government is exploring the possibility of including "statements that seriously threaten fundamental Swedish democratic values, systemic threats, and [statements] against the legitimacy of public administration." As an example, the minister for equality cited what she called the campaign, mainly by people of foreign origin, accusing Swedish social services of "kidnapping" Muslim children.

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