Stop all immigration for 10 years
- Taking back control to tackle social unrest and crime.
Background: how Sweden lost control
In recent decades, Sweden has had one of the most generous migration policies in the world, where the same policy has been pursued regardless of whether the ”right” or ”left” has been in power. This has led to extensive societal changes and negative consequences for the economy, welfare, security and social cohesion.
In 2008, during the Reinfeldt years, the Alliance government made Sweden one of the most liberal countries in the world for labour immigration. After 2011, asylum volumes skyrocketed, and in 2014 the slogan ”open your hearts” became the symbol of a policy that combined large inflows with weak requirements. At the same time, tax cuts and cuts to health insurance and unemployment benefits, among other things, were implemented, affecting many Swedes in need of support. During Mr Reinfeldt's tenure, the number of asylum seekers tripled, especially after 2011, and Sweden became one of the EU's most generous countries in terms of asylum rights. In 2011, an agreement with the Green Party also gave undocumented migrants the right to education and healthcare, extending welfare access to those without legal residence status.
The Social Democrats (S), the Green Party (MP), the Centre Party (C) and the Left Party (V) have historically defended a generous refugee policy and a universal welfare system. Under Stefan Löfven's S government (in co-operation with the MPs), Sweden received over 160,000 asylum seekers in 2015, the highest per capita in Europe - while Stefan Löfven declared that ”my Europe builds no walls”. The Left Party has consistently opposed volume targets and quotas and proposed an amnesty for unaccompanied minors and undocumented migrants.
Under S-led governments, new arrivals have had immediate access to child benefits, housing allowance, establishment allowance, SFI, healthcare and schooling. Proposals for qualification periods for certain benefits have been rejected or delayed by the S and V parties, who have claimed that Sweden ”benefits from diversity”. The result has been continued high volumes, permanent rather than temporary residence permits, immediate full welfare access and abolished qualification periods. 2015 policies resulted in the EU's highest migration per capita, with inflows exceeding integration capacity. The result was deeper segregation and increased insecurity.
In the 1990s, the S entered into a secret agreement with the Swedish Muslim Council (SMR). The S promised increased Muslim representation and to push specific demands - Friday prayers during working hours, Muslim holidays, imam training and halal - in return for the SMR mobilising votes for the S. This gave a religious interest group direct political influence. The deal secured S votes and opened the door to Islamist influence in politics and incentives for further migration. Overall, both blocs bear responsibility for the current situation. A change of government is not enough - a total change of course and new forces are needed.
Consequences
Economically, migration, particularly in the form of family migration, has entailed significant net costs. Several independent analyses show that many new arrivals remain dependent on benefits for decades and that a large proportion never achieve self-sufficiency. This puts a strain on tax-funded systems and weakens welfare, while benefits have been tightened for Swedish citizens. Municipalities with high immigration have faced increasing costs for social services, housing, schools and healthcare, often without sufficient resources.
Segregation has increased sharply over time, with the emergence of parallel communities where integration has failed. In many of these neighbourhoods, social unrest and crime have emerged. People with a foreign background are over-represented in crime statistics, particularly in terms of serious violent crime, robbery and sexual offences. Gang crime, shootings and explosions have escalated, often linked to young men from migrant families.
At the same time, Sweden has become a target for radical Islamism. The Security Service assesses the threat level from Islamist extremists as still high, with documented cases of radicalisation, acts of terrorism and infiltration into schools, the judicial system and associations. This is compounded by a decline in social trust and increased polarisation in society, making both democratic dialogue and long-term social planning more difficult. The repatriation grants advocated by several parliamentary parties also risk becoming ”Ebberöd's bank”, where one of the family moves back to the home country and takes the repatriation grant. Another family member is then sent back to Sweden.
Measures to be taken
The situation has been created by irresponsible political decisions, non-democratic agreements and open borders that must now be addressed. The principle is simple: those who work, support themselves and respect Swedish law, democracy, equality, fundamental rights and freedom of religion should be able to build a good life here. Criminals, welfare tourists, hate preachers, violent extremists and clan-based networks should not be allowed to operate freely - they should be deported.
We are moving away from this ”naïve” policy and are therefore proposing a temporary halt to new immigration for at least ten years. During this time, control is regained, crimes are prosecuted, people without the right to be here or who commit serious offences are deported, and resources are redirected to security, schools, healthcare and functioning municipalities.
Rule of law will bite
Anyone staying in Sweden does so on Swedish terms. Anyone who commits a crime has exhausted their right to stay. The main rule should be that convicted persons serve their sentences in their home country through agreements whereby Sweden reimburses the cost, followed by deportation for life (re-entry ban). Endless appeals and years of litigation should be replaced by fast, legally certain and permanent decisions. Extremism, attacks on democracy and attempts to introduce parallel legal systems will not be accepted. In Sweden, only Swedish law applies and special rules for specific groups are not accepted.
Work before benefits
To be eligible for general or special welfare and benefits, a qualifying period of at least five years of continuous self-support in Sweden is introduced. Persons of working age who, after a long time, still do not support themselves and have not paid taxes at a level that demonstrates actual establishment may be deported. For those who have lived in Sweden for a long time without achieving self-sufficiency, a transition period of 6-12 months is introduced. After the transition, all allowances and means-tested benefits will cease, and those who still cannot support themselves will be deported. People staying here illegally will not be entitled to benefits, means-tested allowances or general welfare.
Language
Integration starts with language and respect for the country of choice. Language learning is the responsibility of the individual. SFI and interpreter support cease after one year in Sweden and publicly funded home language teaching is abolished.
Order in the population register
A national census should be carried out and each person should only be able to have a personal identity number or a coordination number. Those who do not have the right to stay in the country should be deported.
Border control and return
Sweden will regain control at the border and in the deportation chain. Border police and customs will be expanded and a national return centre will be established. For efficient management, detention centres will be expanded, own transport resources will be procured, binding readmission agreements will be signed and fast-track identity verification will be introduced. Those without the right to stay will leave the country.
Citizenship
Nullity is introduced when citizenship is granted on false grounds or false identity: the decision is cancelled as if it never existed, followed by expulsion and a lifetime re-entry ban. It also introduces the possibility to revoke citizenship after conviction for terrorism, espionage, treason, war crimes or organised crime (including violent Islamism, honour crimes and criminal clans), followed by expulsion and a lifetime re-entry ban. Citizenship and residence permits could also be revoked for serious offences, openly opposing the state or returning to their home country despite alleged protection reasons. Naturalisation requirements will be tightened with language and social tests, several years of good behaviour, a security check and a declaration of loyalty. Hate preachers, Islamists and clan activists will be stopped in the process, and decisions will be reviewed quickly and with legal certainty in a special court.
Stop the shadow society
The demand for illegal residence will be stamped out through heavy fines and possible business bans for employers who hire unauthorised people, and fines and rental bans for landlords who rent to them. Exit controls are introduced at borders and airports so that no one can ”disappear” from the systems, and a coherent ID flow is required for work, housing and welfare.
Temporary authorisations
Residence permits are limited in time and regularly reviewed. Returning to the country of origin for alleged protection reasons, criminality, abuse, opposition to democratic society or long-term subsistence living breaks the right to stay.
Background checks
Real background checks are introduced: documentary research, biometric cross-checks, security interviews and systematic information sharing with countries of origin and transit. Authorities will know who is coming to and staying in Sweden.
Municipal order and welfare prioritisation
Municipalities must not circumvent government rules with special grants and preferential treatment. Welfare must prioritise those who built the system.
Community grants
Taxpayers' money should not go to organisations that make deportations more difficult or promote parallel legal systems. Full transparency should apply to all tax-funded migration activities.
Pull factors: clear language to the outside world
In the countries of origin, it must be clearly communicated that Sweden is no longer a country where you can live on benefits or hide in the shadow society.
Children, honour and the vulnerable
Honour crimes, forced marriages and parallel systems of norms are met with immediate protection for children and women, tougher sentences and deportation of perpetrators.
Executive summary
This is migration policy in the spirit of the rule of law: we put Sweden on its feet, protect those who carry the country and close the door to those who abuse it. Justice requires order. Security requires borders. The future is built by labour.
Ambition Sverige will work for:
- Impose a ten-year freeze on all new immigration. Deportation of persons without legal right to reside in the country, family immigration is stopped during the period.
- Faster deportations and sentences to be served in the home country by agreement. Deportation as a general rule after sentencing.
- Sweden will regain control at the border. We will expand detention centres, acquire our own transport resources and introduce fast-track identity checks.
- Stopping the shadow society. Impose sanctions on illegal employers/landlords, carry out exit checks and require a unified ID flow.
- The fact that temporary residence permits are subject to regular review where return to the country of origin, serious criminality or long-term dependency on benefits breaks the right to stay.
- Introducing a qualifying period of at least five years before gaining full access to welfare and benefits.
- Improving background checks through document research, biometrics, security interviews and information sharing.
- Placing responsibility for language and integration on the individual. Abolition of home language teaching and SFI, interpreter support for a maximum of one year.
- Conducting a national census to ensure that there is one personal/coordination number per person. Nullity in case of fraudulent citizenship.
- Taxpayers' money should not go to organisations that make deportations more difficult.
- Speaking plainly in the countries of origin - Sweden is not a welfare destination.
- That honour crimes, forced marriages and parallel systems of norms are met with immediate protection for children and women. Tougher penalties and deportation of perpetrators.
- Tackling clan crime through restraining orders, witness protection and deportation.