2024-02-152023/24:JuU15 · p.2JuUJustice
Expulsion in the national interest, etc.
Expulsion in the interest of the realm and review of expulsion for unlawful intelligence activity
What's at stake: The decision concerns the state's tools for handling people assessed as posing a security threat without being directly linked to violent crime, and thus the balance between national security and legal safeguards for the foreign nationals affected.
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 a power to expel a foreign national with reference to the interest of the realm should be investigated and reintroduced, and whether the possibility of expelling people engaged in unlawful intelligence activity should be reviewed, or whether the current legislation should remain unchanged.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee finds nothing that gives it grounds to call on parliament to reintroduce a power of expulsion in the interest of the realm, and therefore rejects the motion. The committee has previously considered and rejected a call for a review of the possibility of expelling people engaged in unlawful intelligence activity, and again sees no reason to support such a call.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 2 (SD)
The reservation (SD) wants a power to expel a foreign national with reference to the interest of the realm investigated and reintroduced, and the ability to identify and expel people engaged in unlawful intelligence activity reviewed. The reasoning is that Sweden is in a changed security situation, with war in its vicinity and greater importance attached to relations with other countries, and that the government should be able to remove people who pose a danger to Sweden even without a clear link to violence.
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 2 by SD.
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: MModeraterna
Ja 237–63Ja 177–123
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 | Yes | Yes 21/0/0/3 | match | confidence: high | not addressed |
| S | No | Yes 93/0/0/13 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | Yes | Yes 13/0/0/5 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | Yes | Yes 21/0/0/3 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | differs | confidence: low | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 14/0/0/5 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| SD | No | No 0/63/0/9 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects the motions 2023/24:397 by Ludvig Aspling and Nima Gholam Ali Pour (both SD) claim 1 and 2023/24:485 by Markus Wiechel et al. (SD) claim 4.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:397 av Ludvig Aspling och Nima Gholam Ali Pour (båda SD) yrkande 1 och 2023/24:485 av Markus Wiechel m.fl. (SD) yrkande 4.
Riksdag decision: Parliament said no to approximately 20 proposals concerning measures against terrorism. The motions were submitted during the regular motion period 2023 and deal, among other things, with a national effort against violent extremism and terrorism and with expulsion. The background to the committee's position on the national effort is that the government recently developed a new national strategy against violent extremism and terrorism. Furthermore, the government has tasked several authorities to intensify efforts against terrorism and to develop their inter-agency cooperation.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants Sweden to reinstate the ability to expel foreigners in the interests of the realm. (SD) — Reservation 2
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 rejects special legislation and demands that crimes be prosecuted within ordinary legal frameworks with the presumption of innocence as the foundation, as well as a humanitarian refugee policy with individual assessment and an absolute ban on torture.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan rejects special legislation and demands that crimes be prosecuted within ordinary legal frameworks with the presumption of innocence as the foundation, as well as a humanitarian refugee policy with individual assessment and an absolute ban on torture. A deportation ground based on the realm's interest without clear connection to violence is exactly such an open, hard-to-assess ground that the plan opposes. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's demands.
Original (Swedish)
Planen avvisar särlagstiftning och kräver att brott lagförs inom ordinarie rättsramar med oskuldspresumtionen som grund, samt en human flyktingpolitik med individuell prövning och ett absolut tortyrförbud. En utvisningsgrund som bygger på rikets intresse utan tydlig koppling till våld är just en sådan öppen, svårprövad grund som planen motsätter sig. Planen talar därför emot motförslagets krav.
- ordinary legal frameworksdecisive»avvisar en särskild terroristlagstiftning och menar att våldsbrott ska« (party programme ↗)“rejects special terrorist legislation and believes that violent crimes should”
- presumption of innocence»anses oskyldiga tills motsatsen är bevisad måste lyftas fram som« (party programme ↗)“are presumed innocent until proven otherwise must be highlighted as”
- absolute ban on torture»medverka till att människor riskerar att avvisas till tortyr eller annan« (party programme ↗)“contribute to people risking deportation to torture or other”
- humanitarian refugee and asylum policy»en human flykting- och asylpolitik där varje asylsökande garanteras« (party programme ↗)“a humanitarian refugee and asylum policy where every asylum seeker is guaranteed”
The plan establishes that Sweden must be able to defend itself against hybrid attacks and espionage and wants to develop intelligence capacity in a significantly worsened security situation.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that Sweden must be able to defend itself against hybrid attacks and espionage and wants to develop intelligence capacity in a significantly worsened security situation. Investigating and reinstituting a possibility to deport foreigners in consideration of the national interest, and reviewing possibilities to expel persons engaged in illegal intelligence operations, lies in line with this and with the plan's firmly tightened migration line. The plan does not mention expulsion grounds, which is why the assessment is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att Sverige måste kunna försvara sig också mot hybridattacker och spionage och vill utveckla underrättelseförmågan i ett kraftigt försämrat säkerhetsläge. Att utreda och återinföra en möjlighet att utvisa utlänningar med hänsyn till rikets intresse, och att se över möjligheterna att utvisa personer i olovlig underrättelseverksamhet, ligger i linje med detta och med planens fasta åtstramade migrationslinje. Planen nämner inte utvisningsgrunder, varför bedömningen är härledd.
- defence against espionagedecisive»Vi måste kunna försvara oss militärt, men också mot hybridattacker, spionage och cyberangrepp.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We must be able to defend ourselves militarily, but also against hybrid attacks, espionage and cyberattacks.”
- strengthened intelligence capacity»Vi vill fortsätta internationella samarbeten och utveckla cyberförsvaret och underrättelseförmågan.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to continue international cooperation and develop cyber defence and intelligence capacity.”
- firm tightened migration policy»Vi har stramat åt migrationspolitiken, och denna linje ligger fast.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We have tightened migration policy, and this line remains firm.”
- protection for legal security»Det är samhällets absoluta skyldighet att skydda friheten och den personliga integriteten« (party programme ↗)“It is society's absolute duty to protect freedom and personal integrity”
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 requires that anyone seeking protection is guaranteed a fair-procedure asylum review and that forced removals are used extremely restrictively, and opposes laws that involve disproportionate infringements on individual rights.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that anyone seeking protection is guaranteed a fair-procedure asylum review and that forced removals are used extremely restrictively, and opposes laws that involve disproportionate infringements on individual rights. An expulsion ground that rests on the state's interest without clear connection to violence is such a broad and difficult-to-assess ground. The plan therefore does not support exploring and reintroducing such a possibility.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att den som söker skydd garanteras en rättssäker prövning och att tvångsavvisningar används oerhört restriktivt, och motsätter sig lagar som innebär oproportionerliga ingrepp i den enskildes rättigheter. En utvisningsgrund som vilar på rikets intresse utan tydlig koppling till våld är en sådan vid och svårprövad grund. Planen ger därför inte stöd för att en sådan möjlighet utreds och återinförs.
- restrictive forced removalsdecisive»Tvångsavvisningar ska användas oerhört restriktivt.« (party programme ↗)“Forced removals shall be used extremely restrictively.”
- fair-procedure review»flyktingar ska garanteras en rättssäker asylprocess i« (party programme ↗)“refugees shall be guaranteed a fair-procedure asylum process in”
- against disproportionate infringements»alla lagar som innebär oproportionerliga ingrepp i« (party programme ↗)“all laws that involve disproportionate infringements on”
- strengthened fair procedures in migration»stärka rättssäkerheten i asylprocessen och stödet för hbtqi-flyktingar och andra sårbara grupper.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen fair procedures in the asylum process and support for LGBTQI+ refugees and other vulnerable groups.”
flags: citat_migrerat
The party programme builds migration policy on open borders and a generous and humane line, and the election manifesto defends the rule of law and the individual's rights against the state and says no to difficult-to-prove grounds such as reversed burden of proof.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme builds migration policy on open borders and a generous and humane line, and the election manifesto defends the rule of law and the individual's rights against the state and says no to difficult-to-prove grounds such as reversed burden of proof. A deportation ground based on the realm's interest without clear connection to violence is precisely such a vague ground. The plan therefore rejects the counter-proposal's requirement.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet bygger migrationspolitiken på öppna gränser och en generös och human linje, och valmanifestet försvarar rättsstaten och individens rättigheter gentemot staten och säger nej till svårprövade grunder som omvänd bevisbörda. En utvisningsgrund som bygger på rikets intresse utan tydlig koppling till våld är just en sådan vag grund. Planen avvisar därför motförslagets krav.
- generous and humane migration policydecisive»Centerpartiet strävar efter öppna gränser, fri rörlighet samt en generös och human flykting- och invandringspolitik.« (party programme ↗)“The Centre Party strives for open borders, freedom of movement and a generous and humane refugee and migration policy.”
- the rule of law defended»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.”
- no to vague legal grounds»Vi säger därför nej till visitationszoner, kollektiv bestraffning, omvänd bevisbörda, anonyma vittnen, preventiv avlyssning och inskränkningar av religionsfriheten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We therefore say no to stop-and-search zones, collective punishment, reversed burden of proof, anonymous witnesses, preventive surveillance and restrictions on freedom of religion.”
- integrity testing of legislationweak support»All lagstiftning bör prövas mot dess påverkan på människors personliga integritet.« (party programme ↗)“All legislation should be tested against its impact on people's personal integrity.”
flags: citat_svagt
The plan wants to expel more and requires that Sweden acts without naivety toward Russian and Chinese power politics, and that undemocratic states' actions in democracies are assessed from a security policy perspective.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to expel more and requires that Sweden acts without naivety toward Russian and Chinese power politics, and that undemocratic states' actions in democracies are assessed from a security policy perspective. The counter-proposal's requirements to investigate and reintroduce expulsion with regard to the realm's interests and to intensify work against illegal intelligence activities lie in line with this. The plan's requirements for legal certainty pull in the opposite direction and the foundation is weak, hence low certainty.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill utvisa fler och kräver att Sverige agerar utan naivitet mot rysk och kinesisk maktpolitik, och att odemokratiska staters agerande i demokratier bedöms säkerhetspolitiskt. Motförslagets krav på att utreda och återinföra utvisning med hänsyn till rikets intresse och att skärpa arbetet mot olovlig underrättelseverksamhet ligger i linje med detta. Planens krav på rättssäkerhet drar i motsatt riktning och grunden är svag, därav låg säkerhet.
- expel moredecisive»Utvisa fler kriminella från Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Expel more criminals from Sweden.”
- no naivety toward foreign power»dra nytta av frihandelns fördelar utan den naivitet som alltför länge uppvisats för kinesisk och rysk maktpolitik« (2022 manifesto ↗)“take advantage of free trade's advantages without the naivety that has been shown too long toward Chinese and Russian power politics”
- security policy vigilance»Den utveckling där odemokratiska eller rentav totalitära stater förvärvar strategiska tillgångar i« (party programme ↗)“The development where undemocratic or even totalitarian states acquire strategic assets in”
- strengthened legal certainty»Rättssäkerheten och skyddet för de medborgerliga fri- och rättigheterna behöver förstärkas.« (party programme ↗)“Legal certainty and protection of civil rights and freedoms need to be strengthened.”
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 requires that Sweden can meet attacks from international crime, terrorism and non-state actors and that security policy is characterized by foresight, and the election manifesto requires strict migration policy.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that Sweden can meet attacks from international crime, terrorism and non-state actors and that security policy is characterized by foresight, and the election manifesto requires strict migration policy. To investigate and reintroduce expulsion with regard to the realm's interest and tighten measures against unlawful intelligence operations align with this. However, the plan's prohibition against family-splitting decisions sets limits on application.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att Sverige kan möta angrepp från internationell kriminalitet, terrorism och utomstatliga aktörer och att säkerhetspolitiken präglas av förutseende, och valmanifestet kräver en stram migrationspolitik. Att utreda och återinföra utvisning med hänsyn till rikets intresse samt skärpa åtgärderna mot olovlig underrättelseverksamhet ligger i linje med detta. Planens förbud mot familjesplittrande beslut sätter dock gränser för tillämpningen.
- meet threats to realm securitydecisive»möta angrepp från internationell kriminalitet, terrorism, cyberkrigföring« (party programme ↗)“meet attacks from international crime, terrorism, cyber warfare”
- foresighted security policy»Sveriges säkerhetspolitik ska präglas av samarbete, förutseende och helhetslösningar« (party programme ↗)“Sweden's security policy must be characterized by cooperation, foresight and comprehensive solutions”
- strict migration policy»Stram migrationspolitik krävs för att ta itu med integrationsproblem och utanförskap.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strict migration policy is required to tackle integration problems and exclusion.”
- avoid family splitting»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.”
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 wants to deport gang members who are not Swedish citizens regardless of whether they have been convicted of crimes, deport foreign citizens who commit crimes at prison level and ensure that more criminal clan members are deported.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to deport gang members who are not Swedish citizens regardless of whether they have been convicted of crimes, deport foreign citizens who commit crimes at prison level and ensure that more criminal clan members are deported. To be able to remove persons who pose a danger to the country even without clear connection to a conviction is thus the plan's line, as is a strengthened Security Police against threats from foreign powers. The counter-proposal's demand to investigate and reintroduce deportation in the realm's interest is therefore supported.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill utvisa gängmedlemmar som inte är svenska medborgare oavsett om de dömts för brott, utvisa utländska medborgare som begår brott på fängelsenivå och se till att fler kriminella klanmedlemmar utvisas. Att kunna avlägsna personer som utgör en fara för landet även utan tydlig koppling till en fällande dom är därmed planens linje, liksom en stärkt Säkerhetspolis mot hot från främmande makt. Motförslagets krav på att utreda och återinföra utvisning i rikets intresse stöds därför.
- deportation without convictiondecisive»Utvisa gängmedlemmar, som inte är svenska medborgare, oavsett om de dömts för brott« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Deport gang members, who are not Swedish citizens, regardless of whether they have been convicted of crimes”
- deportation for crimes»Utvisa den som har medborgarskap i annat land och begår brott på fängelsenivå« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Deport anyone who has citizenship in another country and commits crimes at prison level”
- more deportations»Se till att fler kriminella klanmedlemmar utvisas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure that more criminal clan members are deported”
- strengthened security service»Stärka Säkerhetspolisen för att öka deras förmåga att skydda den liberala demokratin och landets alla medborgare« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the Security Police to increase their ability to protect liberal democracy and the country's all citizens”
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 that thresholds for taking into custody and deporting persons be lowered and that security threats should leave the country, and even wants to enable deportation due to antisocial behaviour without a specific crime having been committed.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that thresholds for taking into custody and deporting persons be lowered and that security threats should leave the country, and even wants to enable deportation due to antisocial behaviour without a specific crime having been committed. The counter-proposal's requirement to investigate and reintroduce deportation with regard to the state's interest and to review deportation of persons in unlawful intelligence activity is directly in line with this. The plan also wants to protect Swedish interests in international contexts.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att trösklarna för att ta i förvar och utvisa personer sänks och att säkerhetshot ska lämna landet, och vill till och med möjliggöra utvisning på grund av asocialitet utan att ett konkret brott begåtts. Motförslagets krav att utreda och återinföra utvisning med hänsyn till rikets intresse och att se över utvisning av personer i olovlig underrättelseverksamhet ligger direkt i linje med detta. Planen vill dessutom värna svenska intressen i internationella sammanhang.
- lowered thresholds for deportationdecisive»Trösklarna för att ta i förvar och utvisa personer samt verkställa utvisningar behöver också sänkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The thresholds for taking into custody and deporting persons and executing deportations also need to be lowered.”
- security threats should leave the country»Genom att använda neddraget bistånd, sanktioner eller andra påtryckningar så ska säkerhetshot lämna landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“By using reduced aid, sanctions or other pressure, security threats should leave the country.”
- deportation without specific crime»Det bör också bli möjligt att utvisa personer p.g.a. asocialitet för utövandet av hedersförtryck även utan att ett konkret brott begåtts.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It should also be possible to deport persons because of antisocial behaviour for the practice of honour-based abuse even without a specific crime having been committed.”
- Swedish interests first»Värna svenska intressen i internationella sammanhang« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect Swedish interests in international contexts”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2023/24:JuU15)
- Committee report full text (HB01JuU15)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:2156 — Indraget stöd vid deltagande i krig utan svenskt uppdrag av Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M)
- Motion 2023/24:2450 — En förstärkning av det civila försvaret och krisberedskapen av Emma Berginger m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:2484 — Rättspolitik av Ulrika Liljeberg m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:2522 — Muslimska brödraskapet av Markus Wiechel m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:2640 — Utgiftsområde 4 Rättsväsendet av Ardalan Shekarabi m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2669 — Rättspolitik av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:397 — Krafttag mot illegal migration för ett säkrare Sverige av Ludvig Aspling och Nima Gholam Ali Pour (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:453 — Terrorism av Richard Jomshof m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:485 — Vissa frågor rörande Mellanöstern och Afrika av Markus Wiechel m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:712 — Åtgärder mot krigs- och terrorbrott av Markus Wiechel (SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament