Sweden’s migration reforms are facing an emotionally charged test after an 8-month-old boy, Emanuel, was issued a deportation order to Iran while the rest of his family is permitted to remain in the country.
The case has sparked outrage among the Swedish commentariat and opposition parties, yet the government’s parliamentary backers, the right-wing Sweden Democrats, said that stricter rules, designed to restore order after years of mass migration, inevitably produce individual cases that may seem uncomfortable.
As reported earlier this month by SVT, Emanuel’s mother works at a Swedish hospital and secured residency under a previous migration measure that previously allowed rejected asylum seekers to obtain residence permits on the basis of employment. However, that pathway was abolished last year as part of a package of reforms aimed at tightening the system and reducing incentives for misuse.
Because Emanuel was born shortly after the law was changed, he falls outside the revised framework and does not automatically qualify for a residence permit. The Swedish Migration Agency has stated that the law leaves no room for discretionary exceptions and has pointed out that it warned policymakers about potential unintended consequences when the reform was introduced.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Migration Minister Johan Forssell have both described the outcome as “unreasonable” on a personal level, while emphasizing that the courts must now determine the legal outcome.
The family has appealed, and deportations to Iran are currently halted due to the security situation, meaning Emanuel will remain in Sweden for the time being.
Forssell told Swedish Radio: “I personally think it sounds as unreasonable as everyone else, of course.” At the same time, he has defended the broader reform agenda, arguing that Sweden cannot return to previous migration levels.
“We can’t continue as before, with hundreds of thousands coming. But, it must be done fairly,” he said.
Emanuel’s father appealed publicly for compassion, telling TV4 Nyheterna, “An 8-month-old child cannot be deported alone. You cannot separate a baby from its family. We pray for that. We hope that God will perform a miracle. We hope that everything goes well.”
The baby’s case comes amid broader scrutiny of so-called “teenage deportations.” Under Sweden’s increasingly temporary permit system, young people who have grown up in the country can face removal once they turn 18 if they lack independent grounds for residence. At that point, they are no longer legally treated as dependent children within the migration framework.
The governing coalition relies on parliamentary support from the Sweden Democrats, who have pushed for some of the toughest measures. Party leader Jimmie Åkesson has acknowledged that difficult cases can arise but insists the broader direction must hold.
“Of course, immigration policy should be reasonable and accurate. It is crucial for legitimacy that the reforms that are implemented are in accordance with the general perception of law. But we must not let ideologically driven immigration liberals shift focus from the big picture. Tough reforms are no less necessary because a relatively few – more or less unfairly – end up between the chairs when new rules are implemented,” Åkesson said, as cited by Samnytt.
He predicted that immigration would once again dominate the debate in the lead-up to elections later this year.
“The election this fall will therefore be another immigration election. It is important to resist any attempt to undermine the necessary reforms we have put in place during this term of office,” he added.
