|Published on: 23rd July 2026|Categories: News|
The updated AIDA Country Report on Sweden provides a detailed overview on legislative and practice-related developments in asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum applicants and content of international protection in 2025. It is accompanied by an annex which provides an overview of temporary protection.
A number of key developments that have taken place since the publication of the update on 2024 are set out below.
National context
- Situation for undocumented people: A law which was adopted in March 2025 introduced several changes, including: (i) an extension of the period during which a return decision remains valid; (ii) an extension of the duration of re-entry bans, and (iii) the removal of the possibility to switch from an asylum application to a work permit application.
- General conditions: An inquiry which was launched in 2025 looked into options for reducing rights to a minimum level while remaining formally compliant with Sweden’s international obligations. The first part proposed the removal of the possibility for people who held asylum-related residence permits to receive permanent residence permits. The second part proposed a legal framework that would enable the revocation of existing permanent residence permits and their replacement with temporary permits.
- EU Pact on Migration and Asylum: An inquiry was appointed in November 2024 to review the need to adapt Swedish legislation in line with the Pact instruments relating to asylum procedures and screening, including mechanisms for monitoring fundamental rights. Consultation bodies were given until early January 2026 to analyse and comment on the inquiry’s report.
(A) International protection
Asylum procedure
- Statistics: 6,737 preliminary applications for international protection were lodged in 2025. This represented a 30% from the previous year. 7,447 subsequent applications were also lodged in 2025. The first instance in-merit recognition rate was 35% (40% in 2024). At the end of 2025, there were 2,511 pending cases (3,971 in 2024) and the average length of proceedings was 180 days.
- Resettled refugees: The number of refugees accepted for resettlement was reduced from 5,000 in 2022 to 900 per year in subsequent years. 861 refugees were resettled in 2025.
- Repatriation: The 2025 budget proposal included a substantial increase in voluntary repatriation benefits for 2026.
Reception conditions
- Housing: A legislative change which came into effect in 2025 made access to a daily allowance conditional on residence in a designated reception centre.
- Integration: A new law requires asylum applicants to participate in a societal introduction programme.
- Labour market: A legislative proposal aimed at aligning regulations with the EU’s minimum standards regarding reception conditions foresees the introduction of a six-month time limit before asylum applicants are able to access the labour market.
Detention of asylum applicants
- Detention: A legislative proposal which was submitted in March 2026 foresees an extension to the maximum time limits for detention, an expansion in the grounds for detention, the introduction of electronic monitoring as an alternative measure and enhanced powers for the Swedish Migration Agency to use coercive measures in specific situations.
Content of international protection
- Family reunification: An inquiry into family reunification has resulted in a number of proposals, including the introduction of a waiting period before an application for family reunification may be lodged, the extension of maintenance requirements and a limitation of the category of family members eligible for residence permits.
- Citizenship: The rules for acquiring Swedish citizenship were amended in April 2026. Changes include an extension of the required residence period, stricter requirements relating to good conduct, the introduction of a requirement for financial self-sufficiency, mandatory tests in the Swedish language and civic knowledge, and stricter rules regarding the assessment of criminal conduct.
(B) Temporary protection
Temporary protection procedure
- Statistics: 9,674 first-time applications for temporary protection were registered in 2025 (10,646 in 2024). The Swedish Migration Agency took decisions on 9,888 first-time applications and 9,349 people were granted residence permits. The Agency also took 304 decisions on asylum applications from Ukrainian nationals and 11% of the applications that were examined on the merits resulted in the granting of residence permits.
- Asylum procedure: An updated legal position which was published in December 2025 confirmed that people who have been granted temporary protection may apply for and have their claims for both refugee status and subsidiary protection examined.
Content of temporary protection
- Registration: A new law which gave temporary protection permit holders the possibility to register as residents after one year came into force at the end of However, people who registered as residents after this date are given fewer rights than those who registered earlier.
The full report is available here and the annex on temporary protection is available here.
For more information about AIDA or to read other AIDA reports, please visit the AIDA website.
