Swedish Parliament Approves Strict “Good Conduct” Bill
On Monday, members of the Swedish parliament passed a new “good conduct” law that enables authorities to revoke residence permits for immigrants who display undesirable behaviors, including accumulating debts, failing to pay taxes, or having connections with criminal organizations.
The main goal of this legislation, as outlined by the Riksdag, is to “enhance the potential for deporting individuals based on their lifestyle.” This comes in response to a proposal from Sweden’s right-wing coalition, advocating that the conduct of foreigners should play a more significant role in evaluating their residence permits, whether for approval or cancellation.
According to the Riksdag, “This decision involves stricter criteria for obtaining and maintaining a residence permit, especially as personal conduct—termed ‘good conduct’—will weigh more heavily in the assessment of eligibility.”
The legislation states that residence permits may be denied or revoked due to illegal activities, including non-compliance with legal requirements, significant debt, or living off fraudulent means.
The populist Sweden Democrats celebrated on social media, stating, “The Sweden Democrats are keeping their election promise! Today, the Swedish parliament approved harsher penalties for gang offenders and reinstated public accountability and character requirements for residence permits.”
This new law will take effect on July 13, 2026, and will apply retroactively to previously issued residence permits.
Sweden’s “good conduct” law marks a new initiative by European nations to address the ongoing migration crisis and comes nearly a year after Swedish Immigration Minister Johan Forssell proposed the legislation, which demanded good conduct as a precondition for residence permits. Forssell previously noted that while it’s commendable to want to integrate into Swedish society, “there must be consequences for those who commit crimes or behave poorly.”
During the introduction of the bill, Forssell declared, “If you don’t try to do the right thing, you can’t expect to stay.” Meanwhile, changes to the Immigration Act were also passed, aimed at simplifying deportation processes and equipping authorities with the resources needed to enforce deportation and expulsion orders.
The Riksdag mentioned that the government plans to impose a new obligation on various agencies, including the Swedish Employment Agency and the Tax Agency, to inform law enforcement about foreign nationals if there’s reason to believe they may not have the right to reside in Sweden.
These alterations will allow Swedish authorities to better verify migrants’ identities through methods like fingerprinting and expanded photographic identification. Similar to the Good Conduct Act, these updates are slated to launch on July 13, 2026.
Opponents of the bill have criticized it as “arbitrary.” Civil Rights Defenders, a Stockholm-based organization, expressed concern that the law undermines the rule of law and creates uncertainty regarding which actions or expressions could be used against individuals.
