2026-06-172025/26:SfU31 · p.3SfUMigration & social insurance
Children and Other Vulnerable Persons
What's at stake: The decision concerns the conditions for children and other particularly vulnerable people held in detention, including the environment at detention facilities, the right to play and family life, and the safety of women and LGBTQI people. It affects those deprived of liberty as well as the Migration Agency's responsibility to safeguard their rights.
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 Parliament should go further than the government's proposal by imposing specific requirements on how children and other vulnerable groups, such as LGBTQI people, should be treated and protected in detention.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee rejects the motion, considering that the proposed rules, together with the Migration Agency's application of them, provide sufficient protection for children and other vulnerable people in detention. Parliament therefore rejects the motion's demands.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 4 (V, C, MP)
V, C and MP hold that the government's proposal does not fully meet the requirements of the Convention on the Rights of the Child that depriving children of liberty should only occur in exceptional cases and for the shortest possible time. The parties want detention facilities for children to be safe, adapted and stimulating, with the right to play, outdoor access and contact with family, want the Migration Agency to be tasked with actively ensuring this, and want conditions for women and LGBTQI people in detention to be safeguarded.
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 V, C, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/21/0/0 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| S | No | Yes 105/0/0/1 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/18/0/0 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | No | No 0/24/0/0 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| L | No | Yes 16/0/0/0 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 19/0/0/0 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | Yes | Yes 66/0/0/0 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | Yes | Yes 70/0/0/0 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motion 2025/26:4160 by Niels Paarup-Petersen et al. (C) requests 1-4.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2025/26:4160 av Niels Paarup-Petersen m.fl. (C) yrkandena 1-4.
Riksdag decision: On June 15, the Riksdag approved certain parts of the Government's proposal for stricter rules on supervision and detention in the migration process. The new rules that the Riksdag approved mean that more forms of supervision as an alternative to detention are introduced. Supervision can mean that a person is required to reside at a specific place or stay within a specific area. The residence requirement can be combined with conditions on electronic monitoring if it is necessary to control that the residence requirement is followed. It will become clearer what conditions apply for placing a person under supervision and for detaining a person. Moreover, it will become clearer which authority is responsible at each stage of the migration process for deciding on supervision and detention. These rules enter into force in large part on July 21, 2026. During the debate in the chamber on June 14, a request for suspension of consideration was submitted regarding certain proposals. The request concerned certain grounds for detaining children, time limits for detention of certain children, and separation of children from their guardians. After the vote in the chamber, the proposal was referred to the Constitutional Committee for examination according to Chapter 2, Section 22, third paragraph of the Instrument of Government. On June 16, the Constitutional Committee determined in an examination that certain bills on supervision and detention of children in the Aliens Act are covered by a special legislative procedure in the Instrument of Government, which can allow suspension of consideration of the proposals for twelve months. On June 17, the Riksdag decided to suspend consideration of the bills concerning certain grounds for detaining children, time limits for detention of certain children, and separation of children from their guardians. The suspension decision means that the Government's bills are returned to the Social Insurance Committee and become suspended there for at least twelve months.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the government's proposals rejected because they lack sufficient legal certainty and proportionality. (V, C, 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 elevates stronger rights for children as a central progressive achievement and makes it essential to strengthen the rights of LGBTQIA+ people.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan elevates stronger rights for children as a central progressive achievement and makes it essential to strengthen the rights of LGBTQIA+ people. It also requires that authorities treat all people with the same respect and that proceedings take place under dignified circumstances. The counter-proposal's demands for adapted custody facilities for children, the right to play, outdoor time and family contact, as well as safe conditions for women and LGBTQI+ people, follow directly from these commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Planen lyfter barns starkare rättigheter som en central progressiv landvinning och gör det avgörande att stärka hbtqia+-personers rättigheter. Den kräver också att myndigheter möter alla människor med samma respekt och att prövningar sker under värdiga omständigheter. Motförslagets krav på anpassade förvarslokaler för barn, rätt till lek, utevistelse och familjekontakt samt trygga villkor för kvinnor och hbtqi-personer följer direkt av dessa åtaganden.
- children's rights are strengtheneddecisive»Utvecklingen mot starkare rättigheter för barn är en av de progressiva« (party programme ↗)“The development towards stronger rights for children is one of the progressive”
- LGBTQIA+ people's rights»Vi ser det som avgörande att stärka hbtqia+-personers rättigheter i en« (party programme ↗)“We see it as essential to strengthen LGBTQIA+ people's rights in a”
- dignified circumstances»sin rätt till en individuell och rättssäker prövning under värdiga« (party programme ↗)“their right to an individual and legally secure proceeding under dignified”
- authorities' responsibility for respectful treatment»Myndigheter har ett särskilt ansvar att möta alla människor« (party programme ↗)“Authorities have a special responsibility to treat all people”
The plan requires protection for civil liberties and rights and that the principles of the rule of law are upheld, not least when society is in superiority over the individual.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires protection for civil liberties and rights and that the principles of the rule of law are upheld, not least when society is in superiority over the individual. That children taken into custody shall have safe and adapted facilities with right to play, outdoor time and family contact follows from this, as does the requirement for strong protection against discrimination for women and LGBTQ+ people. The plan gives no support to the assessment that current protection is already sufficient.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver skydd för medborgerliga fri- och rättigheter och att rättsstatens principer upprätthålls, inte minst när samhället är i överläge gentemot den enskilde. Att barn som tas i förvar ska ha trygga och anpassade lokaler med rätt till lek, utevistelse och familjekontakt följer av det, liksom kravet på ett starkt skydd mot diskriminering för kvinnor och hbtqi-personer. Planen ger inget stöd åt bedömningen att nuvarande skydd redan är tillräckligt.
- civil liberties and rightsdecisive»Skydd för medborgerliga fri- och rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“Protection for civil liberties and rights.”
- principles of the rule of law»Slå vakt om rättsstatens principer.« (party programme ↗)“Guard the principles of the rule of law.”
- strong protection against discrimination»Lika rättigheter och skyldigheter för alla medborgare och starkt skydd mot« (party programme ↗)“Equal rights and responsibilities for all citizens and strong protection against”
- children's health and vulnerability»Ambitiösa insatser mot psykisk ohälsa, särskilt bland barn och unga.« (party programme ↗)“Ambitious measures against mental ill-health, particularly among children and young people.”
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 states that the Convention on the Rights of the Child is Swedish law and that the best interests of the child shall always be decisive when decisions are made about children, and that the child perspective shall pervade the migration laws.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that the Convention on the Rights of the Child is Swedish law and that the best interests of the child shall always be decisive when decisions are made about children, and that the child perspective shall pervade the migration laws. It particularly highlights that LGBTQI+ persons in flight are vulnerable and need a safe reception. The counter-proposal's demands for safe and adapted detention facilities for children, right to play, outdoor time and family contact and safe conditions for women and LGBTQI+ persons follow directly from these commitments. The demand is supported.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att barnkonventionen är svensk lag och att barnets bästa alltid ska vara avgörande när beslut fattas kring barn, och att barnperspektivet ska genomsyra migrationslagarna. Den lyfter särskilt att hbtqi-personer på flykt är utsatta och behöver ett tryggt mottagande. Motförslagets krav på trygga och anpassade förvarslokaler för barn, rätt till lek, utevistelse och familjekontakt samt trygga villkor för kvinnor och hbtqi-personer följer direkt av dessa åtaganden. Kravet stöds.
- child perspective in migrationdecisive»Barnperspektivet ska genomsyra migrationslagarna« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The child perspective shall pervade the migration laws”
- best interests of child decisive»Barnkonventionen är svensk lag och barnets bästa« (party programme ↗)“The Convention on the Rights of the Child is Swedish law and the best interests of the child”
- protection for LGBTQI+ persons in flight»Hbtqi-personer på flykt är särskilt utsatta då de ofta är utsatta för hot och våld samt« (party programme ↗)“LGBTQI+ persons in flight are particularly vulnerable as they are often exposed to threats and violence as well as”
- children shall not be separated from parents»Inga asylsökande barn ska kunna skiljas från sina föräldrar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“No asylum-seeking children shall be separated from their parents.”
The plan states that society's actors shall adopt the individual's perspective and that children's rights are of greatest importance, and that every child's right to be respected shall be protected.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that society's actors shall adopt the individual's perspective and that children's rights are of greatest importance, and that every child's right to be respected shall be protected. Requirements for safe and adapted custody facilities with the right to play, outdoor time and family contact are an application of that commitment. The plan also requires combating structures that discriminate, which carries the requirement regarding women and LGBTQ persons.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att samhällets aktörer ska inta individens perspektiv och att barnens rättigheter är av största betydelse, och att varje barns rätt att bli respekterad ska värnas. Krav på trygga och anpassade förvarslokaler med rätt till lek, utevistelse och familjekontakt är en tillämpning av det åtagandet. Planen kräver också att strukturer som diskriminerar bekämpas, vilket bär kravet om kvinnor och hbtqi-personer.
- the child's rights firstdecisive»Samhällets aktörer ska inta individens perspektiv. Av största betydelse är då barnens rättigheter och perspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“Society's actors shall adopt the individual's perspective. Of greatest importance then are children's rights and perspective.”
- the child's right to be respected»Särskilt viktigt är att värna varje barns rätt att bli respekterad och att bli sedd för den man är.« (party programme ↗)“Particularly important is protecting every child's right to be respected and to be seen for who they are.”
- protection against discrimination»Vi bekämpar alla strukturer, formella och informella, som förtrycker eller diskriminerar människor.« (party programme ↗)“We combat all structures, formal and informal, that oppress or discriminate against people.”
- strengthened work against discrimination»Mer måste göras mot diskriminering.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More must be done against discrimination.”
The plan builds on the fact that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is Swedish law and that unaccompanied children shall particularly be valued, and establishes that the individual's dignity and integrity shall not be violated.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan builds on the fact that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is Swedish law and that unaccompanied children shall particularly be valued, and establishes that the individual's dignity and integrity shall not be violated. Requirements for safe and appropriate detention facilities for children and guaranteed terms for women and LGBTQ people follow directly from these commitments, which the plan moreover expresses for LGBTQ people in custody.
Original (Swedish)
Planen bygger på att barnkonventionen är svensk lag och att ensamkommande barn särskilt ska värnas, och slår fast att den enskildes värdighet och integritet inte får kränkas. Krav på trygga och anpassade förvarslokaler för barn samt tryggade villkor för kvinnor och hbtqi-personer följer direkt av dessa åtaganden, som planen även uttrycker för hbtqi-personer i frihetsberövande.
- child convention as lawdecisive»Genom att FN:s barnkonvention införlivats i svensk lag tydliggörs barns och ungas rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“By the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child being incorporated into Swedish law, the rights of children and young people are clarified.”
- inviolable dignity»Den enskildes värdighet och integritet får inte kränkas.« (party programme ↗)“The individual's dignity and integrity shall not be violated.”
- children particularly valued»Särskild hänsyn ska tas till barns egna asylskäl, och ensamkommande barn ska särskilt värnas.« (party programme ↗)“Special consideration shall be given to children's own asylum grounds, and unaccompanied children shall particularly be valued.”
- safety for LGBTQ in custody»Hbtqi-kompetensen i kriminalvården ska stärkas så att intagna hbtqi-personer känner sig trygga och säkra.« (party programme ↗)“LGBTQ competence in the criminal justice system shall be strengthened so that detained LGBTQ people feel safe and secure.”
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 party programme requires that the child's best be foremost and that the child perspective always be included in migration cases.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme requires that the child's best be foremost and that the child perspective always be included in migration cases. The counter-proposal's demand for safe and adapted detention facilities with right to play, outdoor time and family contact concretizes that commitment. The plan's prohibition on family separation and its requirement for a secure upbringing environment speak in the same direction.
Original (Swedish)
Principprogrammet kräver att barnets bästa kommer i främsta rummet och att barnperspektivet alltid finns med i migrationsärenden. Motförslagets krav på trygga och anpassade förvarslokaler med rätt till lek, utevistelse och familjekontakt konkretiserar det åtagandet. Planens förbud mot familjesplittring och dess krav på en trygg uppväxtmiljö talar i samma riktning.
- child's best foremostdecisive»FN:s barnkonvention stadgar att barnets bästa ska komma i främsta rummet.« (party programme ↗)“The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child stipulates that the child's best shall be foremost.”
- child perspective in migration cases»Barnperspektivet ska alltid finnas med i migrationsärenden.« (party programme ↗)“The child perspective shall always be included in migration cases.”
- protection against family separation»Migrationspolitiken får inte leda till att familjemedlemmar skiljs från varandra.« (party programme ↗)“Migration policy must not lead to family members being separated from each other.”
- secure upbringing environment»Barn har rätt till en trygg uppväxtmiljö.« (party programme ↗)“Children have the right to a secure upbringing environment.”
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 guiding commitment in the migration question is strict policy where those who have been refused asylum leave the country quickly and where asylum legislation is placed at the EU legal minimum level.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's guiding commitment in the migration question is strict policy where those who have been refused asylum leave the country quickly and where asylum legislation is placed at the EU legal minimum level. The counter-proposal instead wants to add binding requirements on detention facilities and on the authority's responsibility beyond what the proposal contains, which goes beyond the minimum level the plan specifies and complicates implementation. The plan speaks of children's vulnerability mainly as a reason to avoid the shadow economy, not as a reason to restrict detention.
Original (Swedish)
Planens bärande åtagande i migrationsfrågan är en stram politik där den som fått avslag snabbt lämnar landet och där asyllagstiftningen läggs på EU-rättens miniminivå. Motförslaget vill i stället lägga till bindande krav på förvarslokaler och på myndighetens ansvar utöver vad förslaget innehåller, vilket går utöver den miniminivå planen anger och försvårar verkställigheten. Planen talar om barns utsatthet främst som ett skäl att undvika skuggsamhället, inte som ett skäl att begränsa förvar.
- asylum law at minimum leveldecisive»Anpassa asyllagstiftningen efter den rättsliga miniminivån enligt EU-rätten« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Align asylum legislation with the legal minimum standard under EU law”
- strict migration policy»En målstyrd, stram och hållbar migrationspolitik är en förutsättning för att integrationen ska fungera.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A targeted, strict and sustainable migration policy is a prerequisite for integration to work.”
- quick return after refusal»Av största vikt är att den som fått ett nej på asylansökan så fort som möjligt lämnar landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is of utmost importance that someone who has received a no on their asylum application leaves the country as soon as possible.”
- border control»Öppenhet är inte samma sak som gränslöshet.« (party programme ↗)“Openness is not the same as boundlessness.”
flags: citat_migrerat
The counter-proposal's bearing premise is that deprivation of liberty under the Convention on the Rights of the Child may only occur in exceptional cases and for the shortest possible time, with binding requirements on the form of detention.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal's bearing premise is that deprivation of liberty under the Convention on the Rights of the Child may only occur in exceptional cases and for the shortest possible time, with binding requirements on the form of detention. The plan goes in the opposite direction and requires lowered thresholds for detention and an aliens law as strict as EU law permits. The plan's commitment to the child's best interest softens the picture but does not outweigh the main line.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslagets bärande premiss är att frihetsberövande enligt barnkonventionen bara får ske i undantagsfall och under kortast möjliga tid, med bindande krav på förvarens utformning. Planen går i motsatt riktning och kräver sänkta trösklar för förvar och en utlänningslagstiftning som är så strikt som EU-rätten medger. Planens åtagande om barnets bästa mildrar bilden men väger inte upp den huvudlinjen.
- lowered thresholds for detentiondecisive»Trösklarna för att ta i förvar och utvisa personer samt verkställa utvisningar behöver också sänkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Thresholds for detention and deportation of persons and enforcement of deportations also need to be lowered.”
- strictest possible aliens law»Skärpa reglerna i utlänningslagen till striktas möjliga nivå enligt EU-rätten« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Tighten the rules in the Aliens Act to the strictest possible level under EU law”
- effective enforcement»Bekämpa skuggsamhället och illegal migration med fler kontroller och fler utvisningar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Combat the shadow society and illegal migration with more controls and more deportations”
- child's best interest»Att barnets bästa alltid ska beaktas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That the child's best interest shall always be considered”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2025/26:SfU31)
- Committee report full text (HD01SfU31)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2025/26:4160 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:265 Skärpta regler om uppsikt och förvar av Niels Paarup-Petersen m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2025/26:4167 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:265 Skärpta regler om uppsikt och förvar av Malcolm Momodou Jallow m.fl. (-)
- Motion 2025/26:4172 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:265 Skärpta regler om uppsikt och förvar av Annika Hirvonen m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2025/26:4182 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:265 Skärpta regler om uppsikt och förvar av Tony Haddou m.fl. (V)
- Proposition 2025/26:229 — En ny mottagandelag
- Proposition 2025/26:265 — Skärpta regler om uppsikt och förvar
Source: The Swedish Parliament