Sweden's parliament voted on Wednesday to amend the constitution. The change creates a legal basis to revoke the citizenship of dual nationals who obtained it fraudulently or were convicted of crimes that seriously harm Sweden's vital interests.
The amendment passed with 292 votes in favor and 51 against. Under the change, Swedish nationality can be withdrawn from dual citizens in two situations. These are when citizenship was received on a false basis, or when the person has been convicted of offenses that seriously damage the country's vital interests. Swedish law requires constitutional amendments to be approved in two separate parliamentary votes with a general election held between them; Wednesday's vote was the second and final one required.
The constitutional amendments will enter into force on January 1, 2027. The detailed legislation specifying which crimes qualify and the conditions for revocation must be presented by the next government. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's outgoing centre-right administration is backed in parliament by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats. It announced last year that it was examining ways to strip citizenship from dual nationals convicted in organized crime and gang-related cases. Kristersson continues to lead a caretaker government after the September 13 elections, which the centre-left bloc won, but parties have been unable to form a new administration, leaving the draft bill unfinished.
Rights groups criticized the measure. Aida Samani, a legal adviser at Civil Rights Defenders, said in a statement before the vote that the proposal would create two types of Swedish citizenship. One would be solid, the other weak and conditional, raising serious questions about equality before the law.
The Left Party and the Green Party voted against the amendment. Caroline Täljeblad of the Left Party said the decision makes Swedish citizenship both unequal and less legally secure, warning that people who did not intend to submit false information could lose their citizenship.
