Executive Summary
On 15 June 2026, the Swedish Parliament passed the so-called “Good Behavior” Law by a razor-thin margin of 174 votes to 172.
This legislation empowers Swedish authorities to revoke residence permits and deport legal immigrants for non-criminal conduct, including unpaid debts, undeclared work, tax evasion, and alleged links to extremist organisations.
Crucially, the Good Behavior Law applies retroactively to permits already granted, not just to pending applications.
FinnRight International views this legislation as a serious and systematic breach of multiple international treaties, European Union law, and fundamental human rights principles.
It severely undermines legal certainty, the right to private and family life, the prohibition of discrimination, and the core foundations of the rule of Good Behavior Law.
Background of the Legislation
The newly enacted law introduces sweeping changes to Sweden’s immigration framework:
- Broad Administrative Power: It allows the Swedish Migration Agency to revoke permanent and temporary residence permits based on vaguely defined “misconduct” that does not amount to a criminal conviction.
- Non-Criminal Grounds for Deportation: Examples cited by the government include tax debts, failure to declare income, extreme political associations, and other behaviors deemed “unacceptable” by authorities.
- Retroactive Enforcement: The law applies to all existing residence permits, potentially jeopardizing the status of hundreds of thousands of long-term residents.
- Political Context: Pushed by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s right-wing minority government, with strong backing from the nationalist Sweden Democrats party, the law has been fast-tracked ahead of the September 2026 parliamentary election.
- Timeline: The law is scheduled for implementation on 1 July 2026, taking full effect from 13 July 2026.
- Good Behavior Law
Violations of International Human Rights Law
Breach of Legal Certainty and Prohibition of Arbitrariness
Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees equality before the Good Behavior Law and equal protection without discrimination.
The law’s reliance on undefined “bad behaviour” makes it impossible for migrants to know which conduct may put their legal residence at risk. This creates an arbitrary, unpredictable, and unsafe enforcement regime.
Civil rights organizations have warned that this shift directly undermines the principle of equality, while legal experts from Stockholm University note that even participation in peaceful protests could be deliberately misinterpreted as a threat to national security due to the Good Behavior Law dangerous vagueness.
Infringement on the Right to Private and Family Life
Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) protect the right to private and family life.
Any state interference with these rights must be clearly prescribed by law, strictly necessary, and entirely proportionate.
Deporting long-term residents for non-criminal conduct especially through retroactive measures constitutes a disproportionate interference with established family and social ties.
European authorities have already raised serious questions regarding the compatibility of this law with the ECHR and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Promotion of State-Sanctioned Discrimination
FinnRight International condemns the establishment of separate legal standards for foreign nationals.
This legislation effectively creates a two-tier justice system where conduct tolerated for Swedish citizens can result in deportation for non-citizens.
This constitutes blatant discrimination based on nationality, breaching Article 26 of the ICCPR and Article 14 of the ECHR. Furthermore, the Secretary-General of FinnRight International highlights a profound concern that migrants will now face a chilling effect, becoming fearful of expressing political opinions or joining lawful assemblies due to the threat of losing their status.
Violations of European Union Law
Incompatibility with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
The Swedish Bar Association has declared the legislation illegal, stating that it conflicts directly with both the Swedish Constitution and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights specifically Articles 7, 20, 21, and 47, which guarantee non-discrimination, effective remedy, and a fair trial.
As an EU Member State, Sweden is obligated to ensure its national laws comply fully with the Charter.
Breach of the EU Long-Term Residents Directive (2003/109/EC)
Under Directive 2003/109/EC, long-term resident status can only be withdrawn under strictly limited and specific circumstances:
- The presence of a serious criminal offence,
- “A verified and severe risk to public order or national security,”
- Proven fraud in the original residency application process.
- Good Behavior Law
By allowing the revocation of permits for non-criminal financial or administrative matters like unpaid debts, the Swedish Good Behavior Law goes far beyond permitted European grounds and violates the directive’s core objective of granting stable, durable status to integrated residents.
Violation of the Principle of Non-Retroactivity
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) maintains that retroactive legislation is permissible only under exceptional circumstances and must serve a strict, legitimate public interest.
The Swedish law applies to existing permits without transitional safeguards, completely undermining the legitimate expectations of thousands of residents who have built their lives in Sweden.
Such sweeping retroactivity is fundamentally incompatible with the general principles of EU Good Behavior Law.
Serious Systematic Concerns
- Due Process Gaps: The law grants immense discretion to migration authorities while minimizing judicial oversight. While appeals are technically possible, the vague criteria and shifted burden of proof place individuals at an extreme disadvantage.
- Suppression of Fundamental Freedoms: The overbroad nature of the text means migrants may refrain from exercising their rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association, out of fear that any lawful protest activity could be labeled “undesirable.”
- Severe Humanitarian Consequences: Families, children, elderly dependents, and deeply integrated individuals face the immediate risk of being permanently uprooted from their homes without ever being convicted of a crime.
- Good Behavior Law
Conclusion and Recommendations
FinnRight International strongly condemns Sweden’s “Good Behavior” Law as a dangerous departure from European and international human rights standards.
It serves as a tool of arbitrary state power that targets a vulnerable minority, erodes legal certainty, and undermines the democratic rule of Good Behavior Law.
We call upon:
- The Swedish Government: To immediately suspend the implementation of this law pending a comprehensive human rights review, and to introduce amendments that align national policies with international obligations.
- The European Commission and Parliament: To swiftly initiate infringement proceedings against Sweden for the violation of EU law, and to issue a formal opinion regarding the law’s incompatibility with the EU Charter and the Long-Term Residents Directive.
- The Council of Europe: To examine the legislation under the framework of the ECHR and ensure compliance through all available judicial avenues.
- All UN Member States: To raise this systemic violation within the Human Rights Council and call for an investigation by the Special Rapporteur into the escalating treatment of migrants within EU member states.
- Good Behavior Law
Human rights are universal and inalienable; they do not expire based on an individual’s immigration status.
Sweden must not abandon its longstanding tradition as a defender of these fundamental human rights principles.
Swedish Parliament passed the so-called “Good Behavior” Law by a razor-thin margin of 174 votes to 172.
