2025-02-272024/25:SfU15 · p.3SfUMigration & social insurance
Measures to prevent exploitation and abuse
Measures against abuse and exploitation of labour migrants
What's at stake: The decision affects labour migrants who risk being exploited by unscrupulous employers, for example through underpayment or incorrect terms of employment, and whose residence and work permits are currently tied to that employment. It concerns whether these workers should get better means to assert their rights without risking deportation, and whether employers who cheat should face tougher sanctions.
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 rules on labour immigration should be supplemented with stronger protection for workers and tougher sanctions on employers who cheat, or whether the current focus on stricter entry rules and ongoing inquiry work is enough to curb abuse.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee holds that Sweden should have purposeful labour immigration and that the rules on low-skilled labour immigration need to be tightened to reduce abuse and crime linked to the system, while conditions are improved for high-skilled workers. The committee points, among other things, to the ongoing government inquiry into new rules for labour immigration and currently sees no reason to propose further legislative changes on employer sanctions or workers' ability to stay to pursue claims.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 6 (MP)
The reservation (MP) calls for workers not to be punished with the withdrawal of their residence and work permit when the employer is at fault - for example through underpayment or an incorrect job advertisement - and for sanctions against cheating employers to be tightened, for instance through fines, corporate fines or a trading ban. It also calls for workers to be given a real opportunity to stay in Sweden to pursue claims, such as damages, against the employer.
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 6 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: LLiberalerna
Ja 149–13Ja 137–25
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 0/0/19/5 | differs | confidence: high | explicit |
| S | No | Abstain 0/0/93/13 | differs | confidence: high | explicit |
| MP | No | No 0/13/0/5 | match | confidence: high | not addressed |
| C | No | Abstain 0/0/20/4 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 12/0/0/4 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 14/0/0/5 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | differs | confidence: medium | derived |
| SD | Yes | Yes 62/0/0/10 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2024/25:62 by Nooshi Dadgostar et al. (V) demand 30 in this part, 2024/25:2827 by Sten Bergheden and Johanna Rantsi (both M) demand 3, 2024/25:2949 by Jonny Cato et al. (C) demand 23, 2024/25:3025 by Anders Ygeman et al. (S) demand 2 in this part, and 2024/25:3065 by Annika Hirvonen et al. (MP) demands 1 in this part, 6, 7 and 9.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2024/25:62 av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V) yrkande 30 i denna del, 2024/25:2827 av Sten Bergheden och Johanna Rantsi (båda M) yrkande 3, 2024/25:2949 av Jonny Cato m.fl. (C) yrkande 23, 2024/25:3025 av Anders Ygeman m.fl. (S) yrkande 2 i denna del och 2024/25:3065 av Annika Hirvonen m.fl. (MP) yrkandena 1 i denna del, 6, 7 och 9.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag says no to approximately 40 proposals on labour immigration. The proposals are contained in motions submitted during the general motion period 2024. The motions deal, among other things, with labour market testing, conditions for work permits and measures to prevent exploitation of foreign workers. The Riksdag refers primarily to the fact that work is already underway in the areas covered by the proposals.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to strengthen sanctions against employers who exploit migrant workers and allow workers to pursue damages claims. (MP) — Reservation 6
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 election manifesto requires that no one shall be dependent on the employer to stay in Sweden, which is exactly what the counter-proposal wants to address when the employee today loses the permit due to the employer's fault.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto requires that no one shall be dependent on the employer to stay in Sweden, which is exactly what the counter-proposal wants to address when the employee today loses the permit due to the employer's fault. The party programme wants to close off the room to exploit people's vulnerable position and strengthen labour law and address unscrupulous companies, which covers stricter sanctions against fraudulent employers. That the employee can stay to enforce their claims follows from the same commitment.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver att ingen ska vara beroende av arbetsgivaren för att få stanna i Sverige, vilket är exakt det motförslaget vill åtgärda när arbetstagaren i dag mister tillståndet för arbetsgivarens fel. Partiprogrammet vill täppa till utrymmet att exploatera människors utsatta ställning och stärka arbetsrätten samt ta itu med oseriösa företag, vilket täcker skärpta sanktioner mot fuskande arbetsgivare. Att arbetstagaren får stanna för att driva sina anspråk följer av samma åtagande.
- no dependence on employerdecisive»Ingen av oss ska behöva utstå rasism på arbetsplatsen eller vara beroende av arbetsgivaren för att få stanna i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“None of us should have to suffer racism in the workplace or be dependent on the employer to stay in Sweden.”
- stop exploitation of vulnerable people»det utrymme som finns idag att exploatera människors utsatta« (party programme ↗)“the room that exists today to exploit people's vulnerable”
- strengthened labour law against unscrupulous companies»Vi vill också stärka arbetsrätten och ta itu med oseriösa« (party programme ↗)“We also want to strengthen labour law and address unscrupulous”
- reduce legal vulnerability»leda till att färre människor lever i den juridiska utsatthet som oseriösa« (party programme ↗)“lead to fewer people living in the legal vulnerability that unscrupulous”
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 states that today's labour migration often leads to exploitation and demands action against workplace crime, with the premise that it should never pay to gain competitive advantages by neglecting employees' rights.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto states that today's labour migration often leads to exploitation and demands action against workplace crime, with the premise that it should never pay to gain competitive advantages by neglecting employees' rights. The counter-proposal's demand for tightened sanctions against cheating employers and that employees should not be punished for the employer's wrongdoing follows directly from this. The party programme's demand for strong labour law as protection for employees points in the same direction.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet konstaterar att dagens arbetskraftsinvandring ofta leder till att människor utnyttjas och kräver krafttag mot arbetslivskriminaliteten, med utgångspunkten att det aldrig ska löna sig att skaffa konkurrensfördelar genom att försumma de anställdas rätt. Motförslagets krav på skärpta sanktioner mot fuskande arbetsgivare och på att arbetstagaren inte ska straffas för arbetsgivarens fel följer direkt av detta. Partiprogrammets krav på stark arbetsrättslig lagstiftning som skydd för de anställda pekar i samma riktning.
- counter exploitation of labourdecisive»Dessutom leder dagens arbetskraftsinvandring ofta till att människor utnyttjas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Furthermore, today's labour migration often leads to people being exploited.”
- sanctions against unscrupulous employers»Det ska aldrig löna sig att begå brott eller skaffa sig konkurrensfördelar genom att försumma de anställdas rätt till en trygg arbetsmiljö.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It should never pay to commit crime or gain competitive advantages by neglecting employees' right to a safe working environment.”
- action against workplace crime»Arbetslivs kriminalitet ska inte finnas på svensk arbetsmarknad och offentliga arbetsgivare och upphandlare ska vara föredömen i att verka för en sund konkurrens.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Workplace crime should not exist on the Swedish labour market and public employers and purchasers should set the example in promoting fair competition.”
- strong labour law protects employees»arbetsrättslig lagstiftning behövs som skydd för de anställda.« (party programme ↗)“labour law is needed as protection for employees.”
flags: citat_migrerat
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 wants Sweden to be open to labor immigration, but at the same time requires regulations that prevent poor working conditions and unscrupulous employers.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants Sweden to be open to labor immigration, but at the same time requires regulations that prevent poor working conditions and unscrupulous employers. That the worker bears the consequence of the employer's fault is contrary to the commitment that labor migrants shall have the same good conditions as others on the labor market. Tightened sanctions against fraudulent employers and a real opportunity to pursue one's case legally follows from the plan's labor law commitment.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill att Sverige är öppet för arbetskraftsinvandring, men kräver samtidigt regleringar som motverkar dåliga arbetsvillkor och oseriösa arbetsgivare. Att låta arbetstagaren bära konsekvensen av arbetsgivarens fel strider mot åtagandet att arbetskraftsinvandrare ska ha lika goda förutsättningar som andra på arbetsmarknaden. Skärpta sanktioner mot fuskande arbetsgivare och en reell möjlighet att driva sin sak rättsligt följer av planens arbetsrättsliga åtagande.
- regulation against unscrupulous employersdecisive»Ett öppet regelverk ställer samtidigt krav på nationella regleringar och internationella samarbeten för att motverka diskriminering, dåliga arbetsvillkor och oseriösa arbetsgivare.« (party programme ↗)“An open framework sets at the same time requirements on national regulations and international cooperation to prevent discrimination, poor working conditions and unscrupulous employers.”
- equal conditions for labor migrants»Människor som arbetskraftsinvandrar ska ha lika goda förutsättningar på arbetsmarknaden som andra personer i Sverige.« (party programme ↗)“People who immigrate for work shall have the same good conditions on the labor market as other people in Sweden.”
- functioning labor law»Vi vill värna en fungerande arbetsrätt och ge arbetstagare inflytande över både arbetets innehåll och arbetstiden.« (party programme ↗)“We want to protect a functioning labor law and give workers influence over both the content and timing of work.”
- improve vulnerable people's conditions»Deras arbetsvillkor måste förbättras.« (party programme ↗)“Their working conditions must be improved.”
The election manifesto values labour immigration, and the party programme establishes that the labour market must not place the foreign-born at a disadvantage and that the competence of those who come must be utilized.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto values labour immigration, and the party programme establishes that the labour market must not place the foreign-born at a disadvantage and that the competence of those who come must be utilized. To let the worker pay the price for the employer's mistake does precisely that. The plan's commitment that everyone should be able to have their case examined speaks to the right to stay and pursue claims.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet värnar arbetskraftsinvandringen, och partiprogrammet slår fast att arbetsmarknaden inte får sätta utrikes födda i underläge samt att kompetensen hos dem som kommer ska tas till vara. Att låta arbetstagaren betala priset för arbetsgivarens fel gör just det. Planens åtagande om att alla ska kunna få sin sak prövad talar för rätten att stanna och driva anspråk.
- no disadvantage for the foreign-borndecisive»Arbetsmarknaden får inte systematiskt placera dem som har« (party programme ↗)“The labour market must not systematically place those who have”
- value labour immigration»Värna arbetskraftsinvandringen. För att svenska företag ska kunna konkurrera måste de ha möjlighet att snabbt hitta, rekrytera och anställa rätt kompetens.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Value labour immigration. For Swedish companies to be able to compete they must have the ability to quickly find, recruit and employ the right competence.”
- right to have their case examined»Alla som bor i Sverige ska kunna få sin sak prövad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Everyone living in Sweden should be able to have their case examined.”
- utilize the competence»Vi måste bli bättre på att ta vara på den kompetens och företagsamhet som finns hos de människor som kommer till oss.« (party programme ↗)“We must become better at utilizing the competence and entrepreneurship that exists among the people who come to us.”
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 explicitly requires that expulsion of highly skilled workers come to an end, which is exactly what the counter-proposal wants: the employee shall not be punished when the employer has made a mistake.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly requires that expulsion of highly skilled workers come to an end, which is exactly what the counter-proposal wants: the employee shall not be punished when the employer has made a mistake. The plan simultaneously wants more to be done against abuse of the immigration system for workers, which affects stricter sanctions against fraudulent employers. It also wants the individual's opportunities to assert their rights to increase and for legal aid to be strengthened.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver uttryckligen att kompetensutvisningarna av högkvalificerad arbetskraft får ett slut, vilket är just det motförslaget vill: arbetstagaren ska inte straffas när arbetsgivaren har gjort fel. Planen vill samtidigt att mer görs mot missbruk av systemet för arbetskraftsinvandring, vilket träffar skärpta sanktioner mot fuskande arbetsgivare. Den vill också att den enskildes möjligheter att hävda sina rättigheter ökar och att rättshjälpen stärks.
- stop to expulsionsdecisive»Kompetensutvisningarna av högkvalificerad arbetskraft måste få ett slut.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The expulsion of highly skilled workers must come to an end.”
- measures against abuse»Mer behöver göras för att systemet för arbetskraftsinvandring inte ska missbrukas för till exempel svartjobb.« (party programme ↗)“More needs to be done to prevent the immigration system for workers from being abused, for example for unlicensed work.”
- strengthened right for the individual»Den enskildes möjligheter att hävda sina rättigheter gentemot myndigheterna måste öka.« (party programme ↗)“The individual's opportunities to assert their rights against the authorities must increase.”
- simplified permit rules»Reglerna för ansökan om och förlängning av uppehållstillstånd för den som vistas här lagligt ska förenklas.« (party programme ↗)“The rules for application for and extension of residence permits for those who stay here legally shall be simplified.”
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's view of humanity forbids anyone from being used as a means, and criminal policy is based on the principle that each bears responsibility for their own actions and that society sides with the victim.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's view of humanity forbids anyone from being used as a means, and criminal policy is based on the principle that each bears responsibility for their own actions and that society sides with the victim. Withdrawing a worker's licence when it is the employer who has broken the rules goes against both these commitments, whereas tougher sanctions against the employer follow from them. The plan moreover requires well-functioning laws against all discrimination in working life.
Original (Swedish)
Planens människosyn förbjuder att någon används som ett medel, och rättspolitiken bygger på att var och en bär ansvar för sina egna handlingar och att samhället ställer sig på den skadelidandes sida. Att dra in en arbetstagares tillstånd när det är arbetsgivaren som brutit mot reglerna strider mot båda dessa åtaganden, medan skärpta sanktioner mot arbetsgivaren följer av dem. Planen kräver dessutom väl fungerande lagar mot all diskriminering i arbetslivet.
- the human shall not be used as a meansdecisive»Ingen annan människa får äga henne eller på ett kränkande sätt använda« (party programme ↗)“No other human may own them or in an offensive manner use”
- personal responsibility for own actions»Alla människor har ett personligt ansvar för sina« (party programme ↗)“All humans have personal responsibility for their”
- society on the victim's side»att samhället ställer sig på brottsoffrets sida.« (party programme ↗)“that society sides with the crime victim.”
- laws against workplace discrimination»Väl fungerande lagar mot all diskriminering i arbetslivet ska finnas.« (party programme ↗)“Well-functioning laws against all discrimination in working life shall exist.”
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 decisive commitment here is to stop competence-based deportations: anyone who has recruited foreign top talent should not have to worry about unjust deportations.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's decisive commitment here is to stop competence-based deportations: anyone who has recruited foreign top talent should not have to worry about unjust deportations. The counter-proposal's requirement that the employee should not be punished when the employer has acted wrongly is the same thing in substance. The plan is also consistently strict against rule-breaking fraud and is based on the courts upholding contracts and resolving disputes, which supports stricter employer sanctions and the right to pursue claims.
Original (Swedish)
Planens avgörande åtagande här är att sätta stopp för kompetensutvisningarna: den som rekryterat utländsk spetskompetens ska inte behöva oroa sig för orättvisa utvisningar. Motförslagets krav att arbetstagaren inte ska straffas när arbetsgivaren gjort fel är samma sak i sak. Planen är också konsekvent hård mot fusk med regelverk och bygger på att rättsväsendet ska upprätthålla avtal och lösa tvister, vilket stödjer skärpta arbetsgivarsanktioner och rätten att driva anspråk.
- stop competence-based deportationsdecisive»Sätta stopp för kompetensutvisningarna« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop competence-based deportations”
- no unjust deportations»den som rekryterat utländsk spetskompetens inte behöver oroa sig för orättvisa kompetensutvisningar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“anyone who has recruited foreign top talent should not have to worry about unjust competence-based deportations”
- tightened sanctions against fraud»Skärpa straffen för bidragsbrott« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Tighten penalties for benefit fraud”
- courts uphold contracts»Rättsväsendet fyller också en viktig roll för det civila« (party programme ↗)“The courts also play an important role for the civil”
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 the thresholds for taking into custody, expelling, and executing expulsions be lowered and that the Immigration Act be tightened to the strictest possible level.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto requires that the thresholds for taking into custody, expelling, and executing expulsions be lowered and that the Immigration Act be tightened to the strictest possible level. The counter-proposal's core is that the worker shall be allowed to keep the authorization and be given a real opportunity to remain to pursue claims, which goes against that line. That the plan simultaneously wants to combat fraud and trafficking in residence permits supports stricter sanctions against employers, but does not support the requirement for continued residence.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver att trösklarna för att ta i förvar, utvisa och verkställa utvisningar sänks och att utlänningslagen skärps till striktast möjliga nivå. Motförslagets kärna är att arbetstagaren ska få behålla tillståndet och ges reell möjlighet att stanna kvar för att driva anspråk, vilket går emot den linjen. Att planen samtidigt vill bekämpa fusk och handel med uppehållstillstånd stöder skärpta sanktioner mot arbetsgivare, men bär inte kravet om fortsatt vistelse.
- lower threshold for expulsiondecisive»Trösklarna för att ta i förvar och utvisa personer samt verkställa utvisningar behöver också sänkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The thresholds for taking into custody and expelling persons and executing expulsions also need to be lowered.”
- strictest possible immigration law»Skärpa reglerna i utlänningslagen till striktas möjliga nivå enligt EU-rätten« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Tighten the rules in the Immigration Act to the strictest possible level according to EU law”
- more controls and expulsions»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 expulsions”
- fraud with residence permits»Korruption, fusk och handel med både uppehållstillstånd och människor är vanligt förekommande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Corruption, fraud, and trafficking in both residence permits and people are common.”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2024/25:SfU15)
- Committee report full text (HC01SfU15)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2024/25:1554 — En ändamålsenlig arbetskraftsinvandring av Ingemar Kihlström (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1798 — Fri rörlighet för tredjelandsmedborgare med uppehållstillstånd av Louise Eklund och Camilla Mårtensen (båda L)
- Motion 2024/25:2183 — Återinförande av arbetsprövning vid arbetskraftsinvandring av Zara Leghissa m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2194 — Införande av arbetsmarknadsprövning och begränsad arbetskraftsinvandring av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2292 — Högre utbildning och forskning av Louise Meijer m.fl. (M)
- Motion 2024/25:2514 — Stockholm som hållbar tillväxtmotor av Mathias Tegnér m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2827 — Bekämpning av den olagliga arbetskraften av Sten Bergheden och Johanna Rantsi (båda M)
- Motion 2024/25:2949 — Migration och integration av Jonny Cato m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2024/25:2955 — Livskraft och framtidstro på Sveriges landsbygder av Muharrem Demirok m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2024/25:3025 — Utgiftsområde 8 Migration av Anders Ygeman m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:3051 — En rättssäker och human implementering av EU:s migrationspakt av Annika Hirvonen m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:3065 — Stärkta rättigheter för arbetskraftsinvandrare av Annika Hirvonen m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:3070 — Utgiftsområde 14 Arbetsmarknad och arbetsliv av Ardalan Shekarabi m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:3137 — Reformer för ökad tillväxt i Stockholmsregionen av Josefin Malmqvist m.fl. (M)
- Motion 2024/25:341 — Översyn av regelverket för arbetskraftsinvandring från tredjeland av Leif Nysmed och Lars Mejern Larsson (båda S)
- Motion 2024/25:343 — Behovsprövning av arbetskraftsinvandring från tredjeland av Leif Nysmed och Lars Mejern Larsson (båda S)
- Motion 2024/25:62 — Ordning och reda på arbetsmarknaden av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2024/25:826 — Dispositiv lagstiftning om lönegolv för arbetskraftsinvandring av Helén Pettersson och Åsa Karlsson (båda S)
Source: The Swedish Parliament