Sweden enables legislation on citizenship revocation
Sweden’s parliament approved a constitutional amendment allowing legislation on the revocation of citizenship under certain conditions.
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Sweden’s parliament voted on Wednesday in favour of a constitutional amendment allowing legislation to revoke the Swedish citizenship of some people with dual nationality. The amendment takes effect on 1 January 2027 and requires that the nationality was obtained improperly or that someone has been convicted of a serious crime harming Sweden’s vital interests.
The Riksdag voted on Wednesday for the second time in favour of the same amendment to Sweden’s Instrument of Government. According to the Riksdag, two votes with a parliamentary election between them were required for this constitutional amendment. The Riksdag states that the first vote took place on 20 May 2026 and that an election has since been held.
The new constitutional provision makes it possible to establish rules in ordinary legislation for revoking the Swedish citizenship of someone who also holds another nationality. This may happen when Swedish citizenship was obtained on improper grounds or when someone has been convicted of a crime causing serious harm to Sweden’s vital interests.
The amendment therefore does not automatically revoke citizenship. Implementing legislation and individual decisions will still be required. The Riksdag also refers only to people with dual nationality. This is intended to prevent anyone from becoming stateless.
Sveriges Radio reported that critics consider the wording concerning Sweden’s vital interests too vague. They fear that people with dual nationality may consequently come to regard their Swedish passport as offering less protection than that of people with only Swedish nationality.
The Social Democrats supported the amendment but reject this criticism. Parliamentarian Amalia Rud Stenlöf told Sveriges Radio that ordinary citizens have nothing to worry about and that the measure is intended for very serious crimes, such as terrorism, threats to national security or serious criminality by leading figures.
The vote is part of a broader package of constitutional amendments. At the same time, the right to abortion is being given constitutional protection, and restrictions may be imposed on associations involved in serious criminality for financial gain or other unlawful advantage.
For the Netherlands, the development is mainly relevant as an example of how European countries deal with dual nationality, organised crime and state security. The Swedish vote does not change Dutch nationality law. Nor is it yet known exactly how the future implementing legislation will be framed.
The core of the debate is therefore not only the fight against very serious crime, but also whether citizenship should offer people with two nationalities the same legal certainty as it offers people with one nationality. From 2027, Sweden’s constitutional amendment explicitly enshrines that choice in law.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Sweden’s Riksdag approved a constitutional amendment for the second time on 11 November 2026.
- The amendment makes the statutory revocation of Swedish citizenship from some dual nationals possible.
- The nationality must have been obtained improperly, or the person concerned must have been convicted of a crime that seriously harms Sweden.
- The amendment enters into force on 1 January 2027 and does not change Dutch law.
Left
Arguments The state must be able to combat serious crime, but nationality must not result in unequal legal protection. Broad wording may particularly make people with a migration background uncertain about their status.
Values Equality before the law, legal certainty and protection against arbitrary government action.
Consequences The measure may reduce dual nationals’ trust in the government and lead to lengthy legal proceedings.
Centre
Arguments A limited possibility may be defensible in cases of naturalisation fraud or exceptionally serious crimes, provided that the implementing legislation contains precise criteria, judicial review and protection against statelessness.
Values Proportionality, enforceability and institutional legal protection.
Consequences A carefully designed framework can make the measure targeted, but the meaning of terms such as vital interests will have to be clarified in practice.
Right
Arguments Those who became citizens through fraud or seriously threaten the state should be able to lose that status under certain conditions. Citizenship must not become a shield for terrorism or serious organised crime.
Values National security, responsibility and protection of society.
Consequences The scheme may provide an additional tool against exceptionally serious threats, provided it is applied only to dual nationals and within clear statutory limits.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The parliamentary vote, conditions and commencement date were directly confirmed by Sweden’s Riksdag. The objections and political response were attributed to Sveriges Radio.
- confirmed The Riksdag voted for the second time on 11 November in favour of the constitutional amendment. — The official Riksdag publication describes the second decision. source
- confirmed The amendment enters into force on 1 January 2027. — This is stated in the official publication. source
- confirmed The scheme applies only to people with dual nationality. — The Riksdag refers to people with dual citizenship; Sveriges Radio confirms this. source
- confirmed Critics consider the wording concerning vital interests too vague. — Sveriges Radio describes this criticism. source
Editor's note
The second vote, the conditions and the commencement date come from the Riksdag. The criticism of the wording and the Social Democrats’ response were reported by Sveriges Radio.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „zweden nationaliteit”
- AD — „zweden nationaliteit”
- de Volkskrant — „zweden nationaliteit”