Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is digging in his heels on one of Sweden society's most divisive issues: deporting teenagers whose parents can legally stay but who lack their own residence permits. Speaking on SVT's "30 minuter" program, Kristersson delivered a blunt message to critics within his own coalition: no general halt is coming. Source: Swedish Government - Migration and Integration Policy.
"The law cannot be adapted to every individual's fate," Kristersson stated, according to SVT. It's a stark position that puts Sweden's Moderate Party leader at odds with coalition partners who want immediate action to stop what critics call heartless deportations of integrated teens.
The cases hitting headlines involve a cruel bureaucratic gap. Parents arrive with children, gain legal residence, but their kids age out of protection at 18. A 16-year-old who arrives, learns Swedish, starts gymnasium, and "does everything right" still faces deportation two years later because they missed the three-year window needed to apply for citizenship.
Coalition cracks over compassion
Kristersson's hardline stance is creating visible tensions within the Tidö Coalition, according to Aftonbladet. While the prime minister insists on waiting for an ongoing investigation into family immigration policy, coalition partners are pushing for immediate temporary relief.
The political calculation is obvious. Kristersson's government rode to power on a "strict migration line," and any softening risks alienating the Sweden Democrats whose support keeps the coalition alive. But individual deportation cases create powerful human interest stories that make voters uncomfortable with abstract policy positions.
This isn't just Swedish political theater. Nordic countries announced increased cooperation on deportations in October 2023, according to Reuters. Denmark has pushed even harder, accepting refugees only through UN quotas and drawing international human rights criticism.
Age limit under review
Kristersson did hint at one potential compromise: changing the 18-year age threshold that triggers deportation eligibility. "You can imagine a different transition age for this. That's exactly what we're looking at," he said during the SVT interview.
But he refused to commit to any timeline for decisions, saying he takes the cases "very seriously" while offering no promises about quick action. It's classic political deflection: acknowledge the problem, promise to study it, avoid concrete commitments.
The human cost of this bureaucratic limbo is real. Teenagers who've built lives in Sweden face deportation to countries they barely remember, while their parents watch helplessly from their legally secure positions.
Expect Kristersson to maintain this position through spring 2026, gambling that voters care more about immigration control than individual hardship cases. The coalition's survival may depend on whether that calculation proves correct.
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