Weekly update on July 5, 2026: Sweden abolishes permanent residency for asylum holders, reporting duty, teen-deportation bill to parliament

Sweden ends permanent residency for asylum-based permit holders — 12 July 2026

What happened: On 2 July 2026, The Local reported that a new Swedish law abolishing permanent residency for certain categories enters force on 12 July 2026.

Who is affected: Anyone who holds, or in future applies for, a Swedish residence permit on the basis of asylum, subsidiary protection, 'exceptionally distressing circumstances', or Long-Term Residence (LTR) status will no longer be eligible for permanent residency. They will instead receive LTR permits that must be renewed every five years.

Who keeps permanent residency: Former work-permit holders, those with permits to run their own business, self-sufficient persons (including spouses and partners), and those with permits based on doctoral studies or research retain access to permanent residency.

Additional measures in the same law: The minimum age for taking fingerprints and photographs of asylum seekers is lowered to six years old, and asylum seekers' right to a lawyer is restricted.

Six Swedish agencies must report undocumented residents from 13 July; 'poor conduct' ground

What happened: Two further laws enter force on 13 July 2026, both reported by The Local on 2 July 2026.

Duty to Inform: The Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen), Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan), Prison and Probation Service (Kriminalvården), Enforcement Authority (Kronofogden), Pensions Agency (Pensionsmyndigheten), and Tax Agency (Skatteverket) are all legally obliged to notify the police or the Swedish Migration Agency if they suspect a person lacks the right to reside in Sweden.

Poor conduct (bristande vandel): From the same date, a residence permit under Swedish law (not EU law) can be refused or revoked on grounds of 'poor conduct'. Government representatives have cited as examples systematically ignoring debts or fines, not following authority decisions, and working illegally. The specific acts are not exhaustively listed in the law.

What happens next: From 1 September 2026, courts must consider deportation whenever a foreigner is charged with a crime carrying a penalty more severe than a fine; prosecutors are obliged to request deportation in such cases; the protection against deportation for those who arrived in Sweden before age 15 is abolished; and re-entry bans are extended, with indefinite bans possible in more cases.

Sweden's teen-deportation relief bill: parliament votes 13 August, law in force 1 October

What happened: The Swedish government submitted a completed bill to parliament on 2 July 2026 that would raise the dependent age in the Aliens Act from 18 to 21.

Background: The 'teen deportation' problem — first reported in 2022 — affects young people living in Sweden whose parents have the right to be in Sweden but who themselves do not qualify for their own permit. When they turn 18 and lose dependent status, or when a parent switches permit type, they have faced deportation orders.

What the bill does: Young adults aged 18–21 who have been refused a permit and ordered to leave Sweden can re-apply as a dependent without first leaving the country. Those already deported can apply from abroad. Anyone who held a dependent permit at any point in the previous three years can apply for a permit on other grounds (work, study) without first leaving Sweden.

Timeline: Parliamentary debate is scheduled for 12 August 2026; the vote takes place 13 August 2026. If approved, the law enters force 1 October 2026.

Sweden: technical glitch delays municipal compensation payments — June 2026

The Swedish Migration Agency reported on 30 June 2026 that technical errors in its platforms prevented the disbursement of certain standard compensations to municipalities in June.

Affected payments include the initial-cost flat-rate compensation (IK) for new arrivals and the daily flat-rate compensation for unaccompanied minors with temporary protection under the Mass Influx Directive (DGNBM).

Municipalities that had already received notification of approved compensation via the 'Ansök om statlig ersättning' e-service were affected. No resolution date was specified in the agency's notice.

Finland resumes processing all Iranian asylum applications from 1 July 2026

The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) announced on 1 July 2026 that it has resumed processing all international protection applications from Iranian nationals.

Decision-making for some Iranian cases had been suspended in February 2026 to allow Migri to assess the changing security situation in Iran. Migri states it has now gathered sufficient information to proceed with individual assessments.

Approximately 100 asylum applications from Iranian nationals are currently awaiting a decision.

Finland: Migri lowers 2026 student permit forecast to 11,000–12,000

On 29 June 2026, Migri updated its application volume forecasts for 2026 and 2027.

The estimate for student residence permit applications in 2026 was revised downward to between 11,000 and 12,000. First-time work-based residence permit applications are forecast at 11,000–13,000 for 2026. Applications for temporary protection are projected at 8,000–10,000 annually.