Sweden to raise residency, income, and civic tests for citizenship
Sweden’s centre-right government has unveiled plans to significantly tighten citizenship requirements, including longer residence periods, income thresholds, and stricter assessments of language, civic knowledge, and conduct, as part of a broader shift on immigration, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Under the proposal, applicants would need to reside in Sweden for at least eight years, up from the current five. In addition to passing Swedish language and civic tests, candidates would be required to earn a minimum monthly income of 20,000 Swedish crowns (around 1,106,625 Kazakhstani tenge) and demonstrate limited reliance on social assistance, with welfare use capped at six months over the previous three years.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell said the reform represents a clear departure from existing practice, emphasizing the importance of basic civic awareness for prospective citizens. Applicants with criminal records, whether domestic or foreign, would face extended waiting periods before becoming eligible.
The government aims to enact the new rules on June 6, Sweden’s national day. The initiative follows a series of tighter immigration measures introduced since 2015, when about 160,000 asylum seekers arrived in the country. Backed in parliament by the Sweden Democrats, the minority coalition has pledged further restrictions ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for September, with additional changes to asylum rules announced last week and still under development.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Sweden plans to lower the age of criminal responsibility, allowing children as young as 13 to be sentenced to prison for the most serious crimes.
