Sweden’s government is stepping up efforts at the United Nations to change the rules for deporting convicted rapists with refugee status.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell is in New York seeking international backing for a Swedish initiative to reinterpret the UN Refugee Convention. The government argues that current rules make it too difficult to expel individuals convicted of rape, as the threshold for what qualifies as a particularly serious crime remains too high. Forssell said it was “terribly unjust” that convicted rapists can avoid deportation by invoking refugee protections.
Stockholm wants rape to be explicitly included among the exceptions that allow deportation under the convention. It also proposes stronger legal wording so that offenders “shall” be deported, rather than “may” be, which officials believe would have a greater impact in court decisions.
The issue has gained attention in Sweden following several high-profile cases, including that of a teenage victim where the perpetrator was allowed to remain in the country due to his protected status.
At the same time, the government is pursuing broader migration reforms at home. Earlier this year, authorities announced plans to change family immigration rules after cases in which young adults faced deportation while their parents were allowed to stay. The migration agency has temporarily paused such removals as new regulations are being prepared.
