Increased Delays Expected in Sweden's Citizenship Application Processing
The Swedish Migration Agency has introduced new security checks for citizenship applications, which involve additional background questions and in-person identity verification [1]. This move, part of a broader tightening of Swedish citizenship criteria, has resulted in a significant slowdown in the processing of applications.
The new measures, which include increased residency requirements, are designed to better assess applicants' backgrounds and lifestyles [4]. However, these stricter checks have led to a heavier workload for the Agency, causing a decrease in the number of applications processed annually.
According to a recent forecast, the Swedish Migration Agency expects to process around 55,000 citizenship applications per year in 2025 and 2026, a decrease of around 10,000 applications compared to their previous estimate [3]. This forecast predicts an almost 28 percent drop in the number of citizenship cases processed compared to 2024.
The delays are partly due to the new security checks and the changed order of priority for processing applications [2]. Initially, it was hoped that applicants could confirm their identity digitally, but this technological solution is not yet in place [5]. The Agency has hired additional staff to help manage the workload, but the extent to which this will offset delays remains uncertain.
The forecast does not account for changes to citizenship legislation scheduled for June next year [6]. Eric Ramstedt, the Migration Agency's planning director, has stated that the forecast may be revised when the impact of the changed methods on decision-making is known [7].
The National Audit Office has expressed concerns over "unreasonably" long waiting times for citizenship applications, with some applicants waiting for almost two months due to the new security checks [8]. Despite growing calls for the Migration Agency to speed up waiting times for citizenship applicants, the forecast suggests a decrease in the number of cases processed.
In response to these delays, all applicants must now turn up for a personal meeting, regardless of their nationality [9]. As a result, the forecast for resolved citizenship cases is uncertain and may be revised again.
References:
- Swedish Migration Agency Announces New Security Checks
- Swedish Migration Agency Forecasts Delays in Citizenship Processing
- Swedish Migration Agency Lowers Citizenship Application Predictions
- Swedish Government Proposes Tougher Citizenship Requirements
- Swedish Migration Agency Delays Digital Identity Confirmation
- Swedish Government to Change Citizenship Legislation
- Swedish Migration Agency Forecast May be Revised
- National Audit Office Concerned about Long Waiting Times for Citizenship Applications
- All Applicants Must Attend Personal Meetings for Citizenship Applications
The increase in security checks and stricter policies for Swedish citizenship, such as the additional background questions and in-person identity verification, are part of a broader political decision that directly impacts the policy-and-legislation aspect of general-news [1,9]. These new measures have led to delays in the processing of citizenship applications, with the Swedish Migration Agency forecasting to process approximately 55,000 applications per year in 2025 and 2026, a significant decrease compared to previous estimates [3]. This forecast underscores the ongoing influence of politics and policy-and-legislation on the general-news landscape.
