STOCKHOLM: Sweden has taken a firm new stance on Afghan migrants, ordering the deportation of individuals found to be involved in criminal activities or whose asylum applications have been rejected.
The decision indicates an important shift in Sweden’s migration policy, aligning it with several other European countries that have recently tightened visa rules and asylum regulations.
In this caas, Swedish authorities have issued ultimatums to certain Afghan nationals, instructing them to leave the country. The policy primarily targets individuals linked to criminal offenses as well as those who no longer qualify for legal residence under Sweden’s immigration laws.
Sweden’s Minister for Migration, Johan Forssell, confirmed that dozens of asylum cases involving Afghan nationals have been rejected due to criminal involvement. He focused on that the government is committed to protecting the integrity of the asylum system while maintaining public order.
In this sense, from Swedish government institutions indicates that in 2024 alone, approximately 2,800 Afghan nationals either had their residence permits revoked or were deported due to criminal activity or abuse of legal procedures.
However, authorities clarified that Sweden does not officially maintain crime statistics based on nationality, making comprehensive comparisons difficult.
Despite this, several high-profile cases involving Afghan nationals have surfaced in media and court reports over recent years, raising public debate. In 2018, an Afghan asylum seeker was arrested after attacking a police officer with a knife in Stockholm.
The same year, two additional incidents involving Afghan nationals were reported.
In 2022, a Swedish court convicted an Afghan-born individual for rape and attempted murder after a woman was pushed into a deep ravine. In such a scenario, between 2023 and 2025, dozens of Afghan nationals were reportedly involved in violations of Swedish law, according to judicial records.
The rising number of such cases eventually led Sweden to seek assistance from the European Union to facilitate deportations, a step that underscores the seriousness of the situation.
Notably, Sweden is not alone. The countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, and France have already introduced stricter measures for Afghan migrants. What remains unclear, however, is how far Sweden plans to go and what impact this policy may have on thousands of Afghan families still waiting for a final decision.
