What happened
Three experts in EU law assess that Migrationsverket's head of legal affairs Susanna Fonsell appears to misunderstand key parts of EU law in the application of the Brexit agreement. The investigation was conducted by the news outlet The Local after Sweden rejected an unusually high number of British citizens. Migrationsverket's 6,000 employees make decisions in more than 100,000 cases every year, while legislation surrounding migration and residence permits is changing at a rapid pace. That same week, new, stricter rules for family reunification came into force, while the agency resumed processing deportations of teenagers.
Our analysis
When the agency's highest legal expertise falls short, the entire defense that the system guarantees legally secure assessment collapses. Head of legal affairs Susanna Fonsell has reiterated that the agency follows the law, but the experts' verdict shows that more than 100,000 annual cases rest on an uncertain legal foundation. Standard reporting focuses on how the regulations are being tightened, but misses asking whether Migrationsverket's case officers even have the right conditions to understand the EU law they apply. Next, Migrationsöverdomstolen will seek a case to test the tightened citizenship law at the highest level, while Universitets- och högskolerådet's language tests are delayed until 2029. For thousands of new Swedes, the agency's misinterpretations are not an academic dispute, but a question of the right to live in safety.
Explained
Family reunification is the legal right for a person with a residence permit to bring their spouse, cohabiting partner, or children to Sweden.
Source: The Local Sweden