Gunnar Strömmer

Foreign direct investments are hugely important to Sweden’s business sector. At the same time, there are risks associated with foreign actors investing in protected activities. The Government has therefore today decided to refer a proposal to the Council on Legislation for a new act under which investments that involve security risks can be reviewed by a special screening authority and, if necessary, prohibited.

Today, the Govern­ment proposed that participation in – and financing partici­pation in – a terrorist organisation should be a punish­able offence. This means that Sweden will have a new powerful tool to combat terrorism.

Since December 2021, disinformation has been spread concerning Swedish social services taking Muslim children into care without a legal basis. According to the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency, there are no indications that the campaign will cease in the near future. Social services employees are being threatened and, in the worst case scenario, this risks leading to children in Sweden not receiving the social support to which they are entitled. The Government is now taking several measures to counteract the disinformation that is being disseminated.

The Government has proposed that participation in – or financing participation in – a terrorist organisation should be a punishable offence. This would further strengthen the criminal law framework to counter the threat posed by terrorism.

On 26–27 January, Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer and Minister for Migration Maria Malmer Stenergard will lead the first informal ministerial meeting of the Presidency in Sweden. The agenda includes EU migration policy, the fight against organised crime and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

The Government decided today to refer a proposal to the Council on Legislation aimed at giving the Swedish Police Authority more effective tools to prevent terrorist content being spread online. The legislative proposal complements an EU regulation in this area.

The lifting of exit restrictions from China, combined with the increased and widespread spread of COVID-19 in the country, has raised the question of introducing entry restrictions, including in Europe. Sweden is now preparing to introduce certain such restrictions requiring a negative COVID-19 test. Travellers from China need to be prepared for decisions being taken at short notice.

A constitutional amendment that enters into force on 1 January 2023 will allow limitations on freedom of association for groups engaged in terrorism. This means that Sweden will be able to combat terrorism in new and broader ways.

The Government is stepping up its efforts to combat honour-related violence and oppression, and has therefore commissioned an ongoing inquiry to draft proposals for legislation to criminalise virginity testing, virginity certification and hymen reconstruction surgery.

The Government has decided to prolong border controls at Sweden’s internal borders from 12 November 2022 to 11 May 2023. The decision is based on the Government’s assessment that there is a serious threat to public order and internal security in Sweden. The current decision on internal border controls expires at midnight tonight.