Sweden’s parliament voted 292 to 51 on Wednesday, 11 November, to amend the constitution so that future legislation can revoke the Swedish citizenship of dual nationals who obtained it on a “false basis,” or who are convicted of crimes that seriously harm the country’s “vital interests,” Le Monde reported, citing AFP.
Because constitutional changes in Sweden require two votes separated by an election, Wednesday’s vote was the confirming second reading. It is now up to the next government to draft and pass the implementing legislation — including defining exactly which crimes could trigger a revocation. The outgoing centre-right government of caretaker Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, propped up by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, had been working on such a bill but had not completed it before September’s inconclusive election, after which parties have struggled to form a new government.
Civil rights groups have criticised the move. “In practice, the proposal would create two types of Swedish citizenship: one that is robust and one that is weak and conditional. This raises serious questions about equality before the law,” Aida Samani, senior legal adviser at Civil Rights Defenders, said ahead of the vote.
For dual nationals living in or considering a move to Sweden, the amendment itself does not yet change anything — no revocation law exists until the next government introduces one — but it clears the constitutional path for such a law to be passed.
References
Le Monde – Sweden Amends Constitution to Allow Revoking Citizenship of Dual Nationals
