Ministry of Justice

Opinion piece by Minister for Migration Johan Forssell in Dagens Industri, 26 June 2025.

On Tuesday 10 June, the Government’s Task Force for Jewish Life held a meeting at the Living History Forum. The agenda included the Government’s recently adopted strategy to strengthen Jewish life and combat antisemitism in Sweden.

The head of the Swedish Security Service has decided to lower the terrorist threat level from level 4 (‘high’) to level 3 (‘elevated’) on a five-level scale. The decision is based on a comprehensive assessment.

The first meeting of the year for the Government’s task force for Jewish life was held at the Jewish Museum in Stockholm at the beginning of March. The group’s focus area this year is Jewish life, which coincides with celebrations marking 250 years of established Jewish life in Sweden. The group will also continue to focus on security.

On 3–4 June, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Head of the UNHCR Filippo Grandi is visiting Stockholm for talks with Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa, and Minister for Migration Johan Forssell.

The Government has decided to appoint an inquiry to investigate and propose that Swedish citizenship be revoked in certain cases.

The Government has decided to refer a proposal for new legislation to criminalise virginity testing, virginity certificates and hymenoplasty to the Council on Legislation. The proposal also includes criminalising the failure to report forced or child marriage. These proposals aim to strengthen the protection of women and girls living in communities where honour-based abuse is prevalent.

On December 12, 2024, the Swedish Government decided on an Action Plan against racism and hate crimes. With this Action Plan, the Swedish Government is taking important steps forward in its work to safeguard equal rights and opportunities for all by intensifying efforts to make Sweden a country free from racism and hate crime.

Migration State Secretary Anders Hall visited Ethiopia on 3–6 March to discuss issues related to return and migration. During his trip, Mr Hall met various government and agency representatives, including State Minister of Foreign Affairs Mesganu Arga and General Director, Immigration and Citizenship Services (ICS) Selamawit Dawit.

The Swedish Government has adopted Sweden’s first comprehensive national strategy against organised crime. The strategy describes the problems in detail, provides guidelines for measures, and outlines the most important work planned by the Government moving forward.

More than 600 leading Swedish and international companies, investors and decision-makers gathered in Stockholm on 19 February for the Join Sweden Summit, the Government’s international investment conference that set a new attendance record this year. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson hosted the conference.

On 30–31 January, State Secretary Anders Hall took part in an informal meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) in Warsaw, Poland. In conjunction with the meeting, Mr Hall paid a visit to Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.

On 28 January, Sweden signed a bilateral law enforcement agreement with Colombia during Maria Malmer Stenergard’s visit to Colombia.

The Government has adopted a bill that aims to ensure that more people who have been issued with removal orders return to their country of origin.

Brochure in pdf format presenting Resistance and decisive action – a national strategy against organised crime.

On 21 January 2025, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard and Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer travelled to Ankara to launch Sweden and Türkiye’s bilateral security dialogue, Security Compact. In talks with their Turkish counterparts, joint efforts to combat terrorism and cross-border organised crime and current international affairs were discussed.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard and Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer will travel to Ankara on 21 January to launch Sweden and Türkiye’s bilateral security dialogue, Security Compact. During the meeting the ministers will discuss security cooperation and international affairs.

Minister for Migration Johan Forssell received a report on the introduction of stricter requirements for Swedish citizenship. The report includes proposals aimed at tightening the status of citizenship and increasing individuals’ opportunities to actively participate in society.

In Sweden, freedom of expression and demonstration are protected by the Constitution. Freedom of expression is one of the foundations of the Swedish state. Freedom of expression, freedom of information,  freedom to demonstrate and freedom of assembly are therefore central rights in our democracy. The individual’s right to freedom of religion is also strongly protected by the Constitution.

On Thursday 28 November, the Task Force for Jewish life in Sweden held its final meeting of the year. The main topic was education, which has been the task force’s main focus in 2024. Representatives from a number of organisations were invited to take part and talk about their work in this area.