The Swedish Migration Agency answers is a series of articles where we use facts and figures to describe different parts of the Swedish Migration Agency's activities: from Swedish citizenship and return to processing times and statistics.
2025
Free movement within the EU – how does it work?
Freedom of movement within the EU means that a French or German citizen can come and work in Sweden – but what about an Indian who has a residence permit in Spain, or his wife and children? The rules for different groups coming to Sweden differ somewhat – in this article we clarify the concepts.
Other rules when children become adults
The provisions on family reunification/immigration are based on the idea that families should be kept together – therefore the issue is emotionally charged and raises certain questions when a young adult is to be deported while the rest of the family is allowed to stay in Sweden. How can that happen? In this article, we will answer questions about people who reach adulthood and are no longer subject to the rules on family reunification.
2024
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In what ways can you move to Sweden to be with your family?
In the first half of 2024, close family ties to someone in Sweden was the second largest basis for granting a resident permit in Sweden.
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This is how it works when we process cases where LGBTQI is grounds for protection
Can a person's sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression affect how the Swedish Migration Agency assesses whether a person should be allowed to stay in Sweden?
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Unaccompanied minors – how have asylum applications evolved over the past ten years?
From tens of thousands to a few hundred per year – the number of asylum-seeking unaccompanied minors and young people who come to Sweden has declined sharply over the past decade.
How is it possible that children who have grown up in Sweden can be expelled?
For obvious reasons, migration cases involving children can spark strong emotions and reactions. It can be difficult to understand and accept that an authority can make a decision to expel a child who has lived in Sweden for a long time – in this article we explain how that works and what the law actually says about children’s rights.
What financial support is given to people seeking protection in Sweden?
People seeking protection in Sweden are entitled to different types of allowances and subsidies from the Swedish Migration Agency, for example, an allowance to cover their everyday expenses or to buy a pram.
How a residence permit for studies work
In recent years, the number of people from other countries who want to study in Sweden has increased. Which countries are the students from? And how long do they have to wait for a decision on a residence permit? In this article, we explain what applies to those who want to study higher education in Sweden.
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What happens between the time of application and decision?
Why is the waiting time sometimes very long before receiving a decision and why does it differ between two similar applications?
What is a detention centre?
The Swedish Migration Agency’s detention centres are for people who do not have the right to stay in Sweden and must therefore leave the country.
How is the Swedish Migration Agency monitoring the world around us?
The way the Swedish Migration Agency operates is largely determined by events beyond Sweden’s borders. The Swedish Migration Agency needs information to be able to assess future developments in migration and for taking decisions that are legally secure.
The reception and housing of asylum seekers – how does it work?
Changes are being made to the system for housing asylum seekers. In this article, we will answer some of the questions about how asylum seekers are housed today and how the system will operate in future.
How many different maintenance requirements are there?
In 2023, the government decided to raise the maintenance requirement for work permits, which has led to many questions for the Swedish Migration Agency. However, there are different types of maintenance requirements depending on what you are applying for. In this part of the Swedish Migration Agency answers, we explain what the maintenance requirements are and who needs to meet them.
2023
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How long does it take to get a work permit?
The Swedish Migration Agency is working to streamline the examination of work permits and make the process more predictable. But how long are the processing times? And why do you have to wait for a permit?
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How we work to revoke permits
When and why can a residence permit be revoked? This possibility can be raised for different reasons, depending on the type of residence permit you have – in this part of “The Swedish Migration Agency answers”, we explain how we work with revocations.
Who comes to Sweden – and why?
Around 190,000 people applied for a residence permit in Sweden last year, and 132,000 people were granted permission to be here. These included refugees, employees, students and close relatives of people who already live here, from all over the world. In this article, we will answer questions about who comes to Sweden, why, and how migration to Sweden developed between 2013 and 2022.*
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How many people go back to their country of origin?
In this section of “The Swedish Migration Agency answers”, we highlight return and repatriation – two areas that are often confused but which are two completely different things.
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How we work to detect security threats
As a result of the deteriorating security situation in the country, security, terror and threats to Sweden have dominated the social debate. Questions have been asked about what the Swedish Migration Agency does and how people with ties to terrorism get to Sweden in the first place. In this part of “The Swedish Migration Agency answers”, we go into more detail about how the agency works to detect and deal with people who may pose a security threat.
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How do you get Swedish citizenship?
In connection with Sweden’s National Day, the Swedish Migration Agency wishes to draw attention to the issue of citizenship and explain what happens when you become a Swedish citizen. This has long been one of the agency’s biggest topics – and this article will answer some of the most frequently asked questions.