Criminals Sentenced to Deportation May Be Released from Prison Earlier

The government and the Sweden Democrats are presenting a new proposal aimed at expediting the departure of more criminals sentenced to deportation from Sweden. At a press conference last week, the Tidö parties announced that an inquiry is now being launched to examine how individuals who have been sentenced to prison and are also to be deported could be offered earlier conditional release if they voluntarily return to their home country.

The proposal is part of the government’s efforts to tighten migration and criminal policy and aims both to increase the number of executed deportations and reduce the burden on the Swedish Prison and Probation Service.

The government emphasized that the aim is to create stronger incentives for those who must leave Sweden anyway to do so voluntarily, rather than serving longer prison sentences in Swedish prisons.

The appointed investigator will, among other things, consider the extent of sentence reduction, which crimes should be included, and whether those convicted of the most serious offenses should be excluded from this opportunity.

The inquiry will also review what should apply if a person who has been released early later returns to Sweden in violation of a re-entry ban.

According to the government, the goal is for more deportation orders to actually be enforced, while simultaneously reducing the costs for the Prison and Probation Service and freeing up prison spaces.

– Anyone sentenced to deportation due to a crime should, of course, also leave Sweden. While the government is sharply tightening the rules for criminal deportations, we also want to create more opportunities for increased enforcement. This is about providing victims of crime the restoration they are entitled to and safeguarding Sweden’s security, said Migration Minister Johan Forssell (M).

Accepting Voluntary Returns

A central aspect of the government’s argument is that some countries may accept voluntary returns but oppose forced deportations.

Ludvig Aspling, the Sweden Democrats’ migration policy spokesperson, pointed out during the press conference that this is a practical obstacle in today’s system.

– There are countries that do not accept the enforcement of deportation orders by force but tend to accept deportations as long as they occur voluntarily, said Aspling.

Inspiration from Other Countries

The model is not unique. The government notes that similar systems are already used in several European countries, including Denmark, Norway, and the United Kingdom, to encourage foreign nationals convicted of crimes to voluntarily leave the country.

The background is that many deportation orders are difficult to enforce today. This may be because the convicted person opposes returning or because the home country does not want to receive them. The government hopes that a financial and time-based incentive will lead to more voluntary returns.

Further Toughening Since the Tidö Agreement

The proposal is another step in the extensive overhaul of migration and legal policy that has taken place since the government took office with the support of the Sweden Democrats in autumn 2022.

During the mandate period, rules for labor immigration have been tightened, opportunities for permanent residence permits have been restricted, conduct requirements have been introduced into the Aliens Act, and agency information sharing has been expanded to strengthen action against people staying illegally in the country.

The government has at the same time emphasized that Sweden should have one of the strictest migration laws in Europe.

Opposition Expected to Criticize

The proposal is also expected to be subject to debate. Critics may question that people convicted of crimes are allowed to serve shorter prison sentences, while the government points out that in many cases the alternative is that they are released in Sweden after serving their sentences before deportation can be carried out.

The details of a future system will now be up to the appointed inquiry to consider before the government can present a bill to parliament.

FACTS: Criminal Deportations – Many Decisions Are Never Enforced

A foreign citizen convicted of a crime in Sweden may, in conjunction with the ruling, also receive a deportation order. The person must then leave the country after serving their sentence and may often receive a re-entry ban.

According to an analysis by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå), fewer than half of all deportation decisions due to crime were enforced during 2013–2024. Of 5,826 people who completed a prison term after being sentenced to deportation, 48 percent had their deportation carried out during the follow-up period.

Common obstacles include:

the person lacks valid travel documents or does not cooperate with the authorities,
the home country does not accept taking back the person,
there are no practical possibilities to carry out a forced deportation.

Brå notes that the share of enforced deportations varies greatly depending on the country of citizenship. For people from Western European countries, enforcement is significantly higher, whereas it is lower for several other regions where there are greater practical obstacles regarding identity documents, reception, and readmission agreements.