The Sentenced Person's Consent

The plan cherishes a justice system built on legal security and means that penalties should be carefully designed. That a convicted person can be forced to serve time abroad without consent, despite strong ties here, is in tension with the plan's view that a safe and permanent existence in society is the foundation for people to put down roots and with its criticism of an inhumane immigration policy. Therefore, the requirement for consent is supported.

• legal security in the penalty systemdecisive»Utvecklingen av ett rättsväsende byggt på rättssäkerhet är viktig« (party programme ↗)“The development of a justice system built on legal security is important”
• ties and rooted existence»Tvärtom, det är genom en trygg och permanent tillvaro i samhället som vi människor rotar oss.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“On the contrary, it is through a safe and permanent existence in society that we as people put down roots.”
• rejects inhumane immigration policy»Vänsterpartiet anser att den inhumana flyktingpolitik som råder, med tillfälliga och villkorade uppehållstillstånd, är en form av psykologiskt våld mot en redan utsatt grupp.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party believes that the inhumane refugee policy that prevails, with temporary and conditional residence permits, is a form of psychological violence against an already vulnerable group.”
• carefully designed penalties»Straff och andra påföljder för brott behöver vara noggrant« (party programme ↗)“Punishment and other penalties for crime need to be carefully”

The plan says nothing about transfer of sentence enforcement. The closest commitment is that the fight against crime shall be uncompromising and that the tightened migration policy is firm. A consent requirement would give the deported convict a veto against transfer and weaken both lines. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's demand.

• uncompromising crime fightingdecisive»Kampen mot kriminaliteten ska vara kompromisslös.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The fight against crime shall be uncompromising.”
• tight migration policy»Vi har stramat åt migrationspolitiken, och denna linje ligger fast.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We have tightened migration policy, and this line is firm.”
• toughened penalties»Skärpa straffen för att hålla de kriminella borta från gatorna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Toughen penalties to keep criminals off the streets.”
• clear response to crime»Samhället måste reagera tydligt mot brott och regelöverträdelser.« (party programme ↗)“Society must respond clearly to crime and rule-breaking.”

The party programme establishes that ties and health shall weigh more heavily in the assessment of residence permits and that forced deportations shall be used extremely restrictively. International law and human rights are placed at the centre, and criminal care shall be humane. A consent requirement before a sentence is executed abroad despite strong ties to Sweden follows from these principles.

• ties shall weigh more heavilydecisive»När ansökningar om uppehållstillstånd behandlas ska anknytning och hälsa väga tyngre än det gör i dag.« (party programme ↗)“When applications for residence permits are processed, ties and health shall weigh more heavily than they do today.”
• restrictive forced measures»Tvångsavvisningar ska användas oerhört restriktivt.« (party programme ↗)“Forced deportations shall be used extremely restrictively.”
• human rights at the centre»Miljöpartiet de gröna sätter folkrätten och de mänskliga rättigheterna i centrum.« (party programme ↗)“The Greens place international law and human rights at the centre.”
• humane criminal care»Kriminalvård ska vara human och ha som mål att den som dömts inte ska återfalla i kriminalitet.« (party programme ↗)“Criminal care shall be humane and aim that those convicted do not reoffend.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan does not address the transfer of prison sentences to another state, but it establishes that the rule of law and the individual's rights against the state must be defended and that everyone living in Sweden shall be able to have their case heard. A consent requirement also in expulsion judgements is such a legal security guarantee for the individual against state coercion. Furthermore, criminal policy shall encourage those who have committed unlawful acts towards a new life situation without criminality, which speaks to attachment to Sweden weighing in.

• individual's rights against the statedecisive»Rättsstaten och individens rättigheter gentemot staten måste försvaras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The rule of law and the individual's rights against the state must be defended.”
• right to have one's case heard»Alla som bor i Sverige ska kunna få sin sak prövad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Everyone living in Sweden shall be able to have their case heard.”
• rehabilitation after crime»Kriminalpolitiken ska därför både förebygga och avskräcka från brott, stödja brottsdrabbade och stimulera dem som har begått olagliga handlingar till en ny livssituation utan brottslighet.« (party programme ↗)“Criminal policy shall therefore both prevent and deter crime, support crime victims and encourage those who have committed unlawful acts towards a new life situation without criminality.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto requires that more criminals are deported and that countries receiving Swedish aid also receive their own citizens who have been sentenced for crimes in Sweden. A general consent requirement in deportation sentences would make it harder to transfer sentence serving to the home country. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's demands, although deportations and expulsions shall be quality-reviewed.

• home countries shall receive sentenced personsdecisive»Vi ska kräva att länder som tar emot svenskt bistånd också tar emot egna medborgare som dömts för brott i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall require that countries receiving Swedish aid also receive their own citizens who have been sentenced for crimes in Sweden.”
• more deported criminals»Återfall i brott ska lättare leda till utvisning för den som inte är svensk medborgare, och vid grova vålds- och sexualbrott liksom hat- eller hedersrelaterade brott ska utvisning alltid prövas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reoffending shall more easily lead to deportation for non-Swedish citizens, and in cases of serious violent and sexual crimes as well as hate or honour-related crimes, deportation shall always be considered.”
• incarceration of career criminals»Livsstilskriminella ska hållas inlåsta i stället för att släppas ut på våra gator.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Career criminals shall be kept locked up rather than released onto our streets.”
• rights-respecting deportations»och utvisningar från Sverige ska utvärderas och kvalitetsgranskas.« (party programme ↗)“and deportations from Sweden shall be evaluated and quality-reviewed.”

The plan's binding line is strict migration policy and that respect for the laws is maintained with firmness with society on the side of the crime victim. A general consent requirement would give the person deported a veto right against enforcement abroad and thereby soften both these commitments. The plan's protection against family separation pulls in the other direction but applies to migration decisions, not penal enforcement, and does not suffice to bear the counter-proposal.

• strict migration policydecisive»Stram migrationspolitik krävs för att ta itu med integrationsproblem och utanförskap.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strict migration policy is required to address integration problems and exclusion.”
• firm rule of law»Respekten för lagarna ska därför upprätthållas med fasthet och förövare av brott ska skyndsamt lagföras.« (party programme ↗)“Respect for the laws shall therefore be maintained with firmness and perpetrators of crime shall swiftly be prosecuted.”
• crime victim perspective»Samhället ska ställa sig på brottsoffrets sida.« (party programme ↗)“Society shall stand on the side of the crime victim.”
• avoid family separation»Utvisnings- och avvisningsbeslut som leder till familjesplittring ska inte fattas eller verkställas, såvida inte synnerliga skäl finns.« (party programme ↗)“Expulsion and deportation decisions that lead to family separation shall not be made or enforced, unless there are exceptional reasons.”

The plan requires that anyone who holds citizenship in another country and commits prison-level crimes shall be deported, and explicitly wants to review the possibility of serving sentences abroad. A consent requirement would give the deported person veto power against transfer and thereby undermine both commitments. The plan also wants to significantly increase the number of deportations through more readmission agreements, which speaks against the counter-proposal's demands.

• deportation for prison crimesdecisive»Utvisa den som har medborgarskap i annat land och begår brott på fängelsenivå« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Deport anyone who holds citizenship in another country and commits prison-level crimes”
• sentences can be served abroad»Öka antalet fängelseplatser och se över möjligheten att hyra fängelseplatser utomlands« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase the number of prison places and review the possibility of renting prison places abroad”
• more deportations»Kraftigt öka antalet utvisningar genom fler EU-gemensamma återtagandeavtal« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Significantly increase the number of deportations through more EU joint readmission agreements”

The election manifesto wants to deport foreign criminals, expand access to prison places also outside Sweden and lower thresholds for carrying out deportations. In the honour section it is furthermore established that no consideration shall be taken to the person's connection to Sweden in such deportations. A consent requirement preventing serving sentences abroad upon deportation thus goes against the plan.

• prison places abroaddecisive»Utöka tillgången på anstaltsplatser i och utanför Sverige« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Expand access to prison places in and outside Sweden”
• deportation of criminals»Utvisa utländska kriminella och återkalla uppehållstillstånd och, där det är möjligt, medborgarskap för invandrare som begår grova brott« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Deport foreign criminals and revoke residence permits and, where possible, citizenship for immigrants who commit serious crimes”
• connection does not prevent deportation»När det kommer till sådana utvisningar bör ingen hänsyn tas till personens anknytning i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“When it comes to such deportations no consideration should be taken to the person's connection to Sweden.”
• easier to carry out deportation»Trösklarna för att ta i förvar och utvisa personer samt verkställa utvisningar behöver också sänkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Thresholds for taking into custody and deporting people and carrying out deportations also need to be lowered.”