Sweden announced reforms to immigration rules that had forced teenagers to be deported while their families remained. The migration agency halted these 'teenage deportations' in March pending the changes.
Under the new rules, the age at which migrant children are considered adults rises from 18 to 21. Those with deportation orders who haven't left can now submit new residence permit applications. Those already deported can also apply if they held a family reunification permit within the past three years.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell said the government, alongside its far-right partner the Sweden Democrats, acknowledged the system was flawed. 'We are taking an important step today,' Forssell stated. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's coalition, elected in 2022 on a platform to tighten immigration, maintains a 'very strict asylum policy' overall.