2023-06-202022/23:JuU26 · p.3JuUJustice
Strengthened anti-discrimination law
Strengthened Discrimination Act — protection against authorities' actions
What's at stake: If the law is broadened, the Equality Ombudsman could investigate more cases of, for example, ethnic profiling in checks carried out by authorities, not only discriminatory treatment. The issue becomes more pressing as authorities are given new, more far-reaching powers to carry out checks.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the Discrimination Act's ban on discrimination should be extended to cover authorities' actions — such as the police's and Customs' selection of who to check — or whether the law should remain unchanged in this respect.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee does not take the initiative to broaden the scope of the Discrimination Act within this matter, noting that a broader reform is under separate consideration (including via the government inquiry SOU 2021:94), and rejects the motion.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 4 (MP)
The reservation (MP) wants to extend the Discrimination Act's ban to cover authorities' actions toward the public, not only discriminatory treatment. The reason given is that the law currently exempts, among others, Customs' and the Police Authority's exercise of public power, which has prevented the Equality Ombudsman (DO) from investigating cases such as the police's registration of Roma people in Skåne. Such a proposal exists in the government inquiry SOU 2021:94 and is considered especially pressing as authorities are simultaneously given new, more far-reaching powers.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 4 by MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have held
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: CCenterpartiet, LLiberalerna
Ja 267–15Ja 233–49
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Abstain 0/0/21/3 | differs | confidence: high | explicit |
| S | No | Yes 94/0/0/13 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/15/0/3 | match | confidence: high | not addressed |
| C | No | Yes 20/0/0/4 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: medium | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 60/0/0/8 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | Yes | Yes 62/0/0/10 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects the motion 2022/23:2394 by Rasmus Ling et al. (MP) demand 3.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2022/23:2394 av Rasmus Ling m.fl. (MP) yrkande 3.
Riksdag decision: Parliament said yes to the government's proposal for a new law with special provisions concerning police powers in border areas. The new law shall give the police extended powers, that is, increased authority to take action, at among other things certain airports, ports and railway stations, at bridges for road traffic to or from abroad and at border crossing points on public roads, to prevent crime. The powers shall also give the police extended possibilities to intervene in border areas to conduct identity checks of a foreign national to determine whether the person has the right to stay in the country, so-called internal alien control. Furthermore, the powers entail better possibilities for camera surveillance in border areas. The new regulations shall enter into force on August 1st.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to reject the proposal on internal immigration controls and body search authorities. (MP) — Reservation 4
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan requires that the far too weak discrimination legislation be strengthened and that it is not enough that discrimination is prosecutable after the fact.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that the far too weak discrimination legislation be strengthened and that it is not enough that discrimination is prosecutable after the fact. It also establishes that the judiciary must not reproduce structural racism and warns against racism and police violence against young people with foreign backgrounds. Expanding protection to government actions so that ethnic profiling can be investigated follows directly from these commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att den alltför svaga diskrimineringslagstiftningen stärks och att det inte räcker att diskriminering är åtalbar i efterhand. Den slår också fast att rättsväsendet inte får reproducera strukturell rasism och varnar för rasism och övervåld mot unga med utländsk bakgrund. Att utvidga skyddet till myndigheters åtgärder så att etnisk profilering kan utredas följer direkt av dessa åtaganden.
- strengthened discrimination lawdecisive»den alltför svaga diskrimineringslagstiftningen stärkas« (party programme ↗)“the far too weak discrimination legislation be strengthened”
- the judiciary must not reproduce racism»reproducerar den strukturella rasismen i deras konkreta verksamhet.« (party programme ↗)“reproduce structural racism in their concrete activities.”
- against ethnic profiling»Många unga, särskilt med utländsk bakgrund, som bor i fattiga områden, utsätts även för rasism och övervåld från polisen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Many young people, especially with foreign backgrounds, who live in poor areas, are also subjected to racism and police violence”
- discrimination must be countered»Men det räcker inte att diskriminering är åtalbar när den redan« (party programme ↗)“But it is not enough that discrimination is prosecutable when it already”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The party programme demands that authorities uphold the equality of all before the law and observe objectivity and impartiality, and describes racist structures as something the party should actively combat.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme demands that authorities uphold the equality of all before the law and observe objectivity and impartiality, and describes racist structures as something the party should actively combat. A discrimination protection that does not cover the actions of authorities makes ethnic profiling difficult to investigate, which contradicts these commitments. Extending protection to the actions of authorities is therefore substantively supported.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet kräver att myndigheterna beaktar allas likhet inför lagen och iakttar saklighet och opartiskhet, och beskriver rasistiska strukturer som något partiet aktivt ska bekämpa. Ett diskrimineringsskydd som inte täcker myndigheters åtgärder gör etnisk profilering svår att utreda, vilket står i strid med dessa åtaganden. Att utöka skyddet till myndigheters åtgärder stöds därför i sak.
- equality before the lawdecisive»beakta allas likhet inför lagen och iaktta saklighet och opartiskhet.« (party programme ↗)“uphold the equality of all before the law and observe objectivity and impartiality.”
- anti-racist party»Socialdemokraterna är ett antirasistiskt parti, som strävar« (party programme ↗)“Social Democrats are an anti-racist party, which strives”
- racist structures are combated»I vårt samhälle finns också rasistiska strukturer, som begränsar vissa människors liv« (party programme ↗)“In our society there are also racist structures, which limit some people's lives”
- counteract discrimination»Diskrimineringen på arbetsmarknaden ska motarbetas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Discrimination on the labour market must be counteracted.”
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 demands that discrimination legislation be strengthened and that the right to legal aid in discrimination cases be reviewed, and the party programme states that strong legislation and a strong discrimination ombudsman are required and that structural discrimination and racism shall cease.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto demands that discrimination legislation be strengthened and that the right to legal aid in discrimination cases be reviewed, and the party programme states that strong legislation and a strong discrimination ombudsman are required and that structural discrimination and racism shall cease. Expanding protection to authorities' measures so that ethnic profiling can be investigated is exactly such a sharpening. The plan also specifically identifies discrimination based on ethnicity as something to be countered.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver att lagstiftningen mot diskriminering stärks och att rätten till rättshjälp i diskrimineringsfall ses över, och partiprogrammet slår fast att det krävs en stark lagstiftning och en stark diskrimineringsombudsman och att strukturell diskriminering och rasism ska upphöra. Att utvidga skyddet till myndigheters åtgärder så att etnisk profilering kan utredas är precis en sådan skärpning. Planen pekar också särskilt ut diskriminering på grund av etnicitet som något som ska motverkas.
- sharpened discrimination lawdecisive»stärka lagstiftningen mot diskriminering och se över rätten till rättshjälp i diskrimineringsfall.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen discrimination legislation and review the right to legal aid in discrimination cases.”
- strong discrimination legislation»Det krävs också en stark lagstiftning och en stark diskrimineringsombudsman.« (party programme ↗)“It also requires strong legislation and a strong discrimination ombudsman.”
- stop structural discrimination»Strukturell diskriminering och rasism ska upphöra.« (party programme ↗)“Structural discrimination and racism shall cease.”
- counter ethnic discrimination»Människor diskrimineras på grund av sin etnicitet,« (party programme ↗)“People are discriminated against based on their ethnicity,”
The plan explicitly commits to strengthening the discrimination prohibition and government agencies' work against discrimination, and to defending the individual's rights against the state.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly commits to strengthening the discrimination prohibition and government agencies' work against discrimination, and to defending the individual's rights against the state. Extending discrimination protection to government agency actions, so that, for example, ethnic profiling can be investigated, is exactly such a strengthening. This weighs particularly heavily when agencies are at the same time given more far-reaching control powers.
Original (Swedish)
Planen åtar sig uttryckligen att stärka diskrimineringsförbudet och myndigheternas arbete mot diskriminering, och att individens rättigheter gentemot staten ska försvaras. Att utvidga diskrimineringsskyddet till myndigheters åtgärder, så att exempelvis etnisk profilering kan utredas, är just en sådan förstärkning. Detta väger särskilt tungt när myndigheter samtidigt ges mer långtgående kontrollbefogenheter.
- strengthen discrimination prohibitiondecisive»Vi vill stärka bland annat äganderätten, diskrimineringsförbudet, minoritetsskyddet och minoritetsspråkens ställning, och grundlagsskydda rätten till abort och reproduktiv hälsa.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to strengthen, among other things, property rights, the prohibition on discrimination, minority protection and the status of minority languages, and provide constitutional protection for the right to abortion and reproductive health.”
- toughen discrimination work»Mer måste göras mot diskriminering. Vi vill stärka myndigheternas arbete mot diskriminering och höja ersättningen till dem som utsatts, samt lägga till kön och funktionsnedsättning som hatbrottsgrunder.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More must be done against discrimination. We want to strengthen government agencies' work against discrimination and increase compensation for those who have been discriminated against, and add sex and disability as grounds for hate crimes.”
- individual rights against state»Rättsstaten och individens rättigheter gentemot staten måste försvaras. Vi säger därför nej till visitationszoner, kollektiv bestraffning, omvänd bevisbörda, anonyma vittnen, preventiv avlyssning och inskränkningar av religionsfriheten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The rule of law and the individual's rights against the state must be defended. We therefore say no to stop and search zones, collective punishment, reversed burden of proof, anonymous witnesses, preventive surveillance and restrictions on religious freedom.”
- counter structural racism»Diskriminering, strukturell rasism och intolerans, i alla dess former, ska motverkas.« (party programme ↗)“Discrimination, structural racism and intolerance, in all its forms, must be countered.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The election manifesto explicitly commits to modernizing the anti-discrimination law and that the state shall vigorously combat all forms of racism and discrimination.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly commits to modernizing the anti-discrimination law and that the state shall vigorously combat all forms of racism and discrimination. The party programme also requires that those affected can obtain redress and that the individual's opportunities to assert their rights against authorities increase. Extending protection to authority actions, so that for example ethnic profiling can be reviewed, is thus in substance what the plan requires.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet åtar sig uttryckligen att modernisera diskrimineringslagen och att staten med kraft ska bekämpa all slags rasism och diskriminering. Partiprogrammet kräver dessutom att den som drabbas ska kunna få upprättelse och att den enskildes möjligheter att hävda sin rätt gentemot myndigheterna ökar. Att utvidga skyddet till myndigheters åtgärder, så att exempelvis etnisk profilering kan prövas, är därför i sak vad planen kräver.
- modernize anti-discrimination lawdecisive»Vi vill modernisera diskrimineringslagen, prioritera polisens hatbrottsverksamhet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to modernize the anti-discrimination law, prioritize police hate crime work”
- rights against authorities»Den enskildes möjligheter att hävda sina rättigheter gentemot myndigheterna måste öka.« (party programme ↗)“The individual's opportunities to assert their rights against authorities must increase.”
- combat all discrimination»Därför ska staten med kraft bekämpa all slags rasism, diskriminering och intolerans.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore, the state shall vigorously combat all forms of racism, discrimination and intolerance.”
- redress for discrimination»Den som drabbas av diskriminering ska kunna få hjälp att få upprättelse och det ska kosta att diskriminera.« (party programme ↗)“Those affected by discrimination shall be able to get help to obtain redress and it shall cost to discriminate.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan requires legislation against discrimination and that the Constitution ensures that no one is discriminated against on the grounds of among other things ethnic origin or religion, and it emphasizes that social policy efforts shall be characterized by respect for all people's equal worth.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires legislation against discrimination and that the Constitution ensures that no one is discriminated against on the grounds of among other things ethnic origin or religion, and it emphasizes that social policy efforts shall be characterized by respect for all people's equal worth. To expand discrimination protection to authorities' measures against the public follows from that the protection applies to the relationship between the public and the individual.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver en lagstiftning mot diskriminering och att grundlagen säkerställer att ingen diskrimineras på grund av bland annat etniskt ursprung eller religion, och den betonar att socialpolitiska insatser ska präglas av respekt för alla människors lika värde. Att utvidga diskrimineringsskyddet till myndigheters åtgärder mot allmänheten följer av att skyddet gäller förhållandet mellan det allmänna och den enskilde.
- statutory discrimination protectiondecisive»Därför behöver det finnas en lagstiftning mot diskriminering« (party programme ↗)“Therefore there needs to be legislation against discrimination”
- constitutional protection against discrimination»på grund av kön, ålder, funktionsvariationer, etniskt ursprung, religion, sexuell identitet« (party programme ↗)“on the grounds of gender, age, functional variations, ethnic origin, religion, sexual identity”
- equal worth regardless of origin»varje enskild människa har samma absoluta värde oavsett ålder, etniskt eller socialt ursprung« (party programme ↗)“each individual person has the same absolute worth regardless of age, ethnic or social origin”
- control of public power»Därför kräver en fungerande demokrati en klar maktdelning« (party programme ↗)“Therefore an functioning democracy requires a clear separation of powers”
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's line is that public authorities, especially police, shall have more far-reaching control powers — stop-and-search zones, more cameras and population registration — and it rejects the collectivism that makes ethnic background a political category.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's line is that public authorities, especially police, shall have more far-reaching control powers — stop-and-search zones, more cameras and population registration — and it rejects the collectivism that makes ethnic background a political category. The counter-proposal's requirement for expanded discrimination protection against public authorities' measures explicitly aims to be able to examine such controls. The plan therefore argues against the requirement, even though it at the same time establishes that power shall not be exercised in a discriminatory manner.
Original (Swedish)
Planens linje är att myndigheterna, särskilt polisen, ska få mer långtgående kontrollbefogenheter — visitationszoner, fler kameror och folkräkning — och den avvisar den kollektivism som gör etnisk bakgrund till politisk kategori. Motförslagets krav på utvidgat diskrimineringsskydd mot myndigheters åtgärder syftar uttryckligen till att kunna granska sådana kontroller. Planen talar därför mot kravet, även om den samtidigt slår fast att makt inte får utövas diskriminerande.
- expanded control powersdecisive»Införa visitationszoner så att Polisen får bättre möjligheter att leta efter vapen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce stop-and-search zones so that the Police get better opportunities to search for weapons”
- against identity political collectivism»Denna identitetspolitikens kollektivism strider mot« (party programme ↗)“This identity politics collectivism conflicts with”
- equal treatment in power exercise»utövas godtyckligt, eller på ett sätt som diskriminerar.« (party programme ↗)“exercised arbitrarily, or in a way that discriminates.”
The election manifesto's line is that authorities' control and coercive powers shall be expanded: more controls against the shadow economy, expanded mapping through surveillance and monitoring and removed procedural obstacles to prosecution.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto's line is that authorities' control and coercive powers shall be expanded: more controls against the shadow economy, expanded mapping through surveillance and monitoring and removed procedural obstacles to prosecution. Expanded discrimination protection directed at authorities' actions, explicitly as a counterweight to new control powers, pulls in the opposite direction. The plan values equality before the law but does not seek to limit authorities' interventions.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestets linje är att myndigheternas kontroll- och tvångsverktyg ska utvidgas: fler kontroller mot skuggsamhället, utökad kartläggning genom spaning och övervakning och undanröjda processuella hinder för lagföring. Ett utvidgat diskrimineringsskydd som riktas mot myndigheters åtgärder, uttryckligen som motvikt till nya kontrollbefogenheter, drar i motsatt riktning. Planen värnar likhet inför lagen men söker inte begränsa myndigheternas ingripanden.
- more controlsdecisive»Bekämpa skuggsamhället och illegal migration med fler kontroller och fler utvisningar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Combat the shadow economy and illegal migration with more controls and more deportations”
- expanded mapping»Åtgärder ska vidtas för att bättre kunna kartlägga gängaktiva genom t.ex. underrättelsearbete och informationsinhämtning, spaning, kameraövervakning och avlyssning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Measures shall be taken to better map gang-active individuals through, for example, intelligence work and information gathering, surveillance, camera surveillance and wiretapping.”
- remove procedural obstacles»Processuella hinder för att möjliggöra en ökad lagföring måste också undanröjas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Procedural obstacles to enable increased prosecution must also be removed.”
- equality before the law»Att medborgare skall vara lika inför lagen är en av rättsstatens« (party programme ↗)“That citizens shall be equal before the law is one of the rule of law's”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:JuU26)
- Committee report full text (HA01JuU26)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:2393 — med anledning av prop. 2022/23:109 Utökade polisiära befogenheter i gränsnära områden av Gudrun Nordborg m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:2394 — med anledning av prop. 2022/23:109 Utökade polisiära befogenheter i gränsnära områden av Rasmus Ling m.fl. (MP)
- Proposition 2022/23:109 — Utökade polisiära befogenheter i gränsnära områden
Source: The Swedish Parliament