An official inquiry has proposed that Sweden boosts its ability to detain illegal migrants, and for longer periods of time, possibly by introducing electronic bracelets.
Ankle monitors may also soon be used by Giorgia Meloni’s conservative Italian government, which was recently visited by Swedish officials. Following these talks, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson noted that “Swedes in Northern Europe and Italy in Southern Europe have much to gain from close cooperation on common migration challenges.”
The nationalist Sweden Democrats party this week promoted proposals for stricter detention rules, saying:
Being able to detain the right individuals for a sufficient amount of time is crucial to enhancing Sweden’s security.
Sverigedemokraternas och regeringens förvarsutredning är nu färdig och innehåller ett antal förslag som kraftigt förstärker möjligheten att ta illegala invandrare i förvar. Förvarstiderna blir avsevärt längre och en möjlighet att använda fotboja införs.
— Sverigedemokraterna (@sdriks) March 3, 2025
Att kunna ta rätt… pic.twitter.com/zHGyjMu86O
The adoption of such measures could help to soothe concerns within the Sweden Democrats that Kristersson’s leading Moderates party is not taking the threats posed by illegal migration seriously enough.
There is “widespread suspicion” towards the Moderates, according to Expressen, particularly following migration minister Johan Forssell’s claim last month that Sweden will continue to be a multicultural society, and that differences “enrich our country.” Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson said it was “both surprising and worrying that the minister for migration is speaking out in this way.” His party is not part of the government, but it does have a say on migration policy under the Tidö Agreement.
Sweden Democrat migration spokesman Ludvig Aspling also recently presented some of the proposals included in the inquiry, including increased searching powers to identify illegals, including in workplaces, as well as a new database containing the photos and fingerprints of all asylum seekers.
Aspling later stressed, in a further rebuke against Forssell’s comments, that “It is of course not good that we have a government minister who is responsible for these issues and does not really seem to understand it.”
