SD wants to revoke permanent residence permits already granted
The Sweden Democrats have set out again why they want to be able to revoke permanent residence permits that have already been granted. With the election on 13 September, it is worth being clear about what is actually proposed, how far it has got, and who it does not cover.
The proposal comes from an inquiry commissioned jointly by the government and the Sweden Democrats under the Tido agreement, which reported in the autumn of 2025. It suggests that permanent residence permits should be able to be revoked and converted into temporary ones. The thinking behind it is that people would either hold a temporary permit, reassessed under the ordinary rules, or would meet the requirements for Swedish citizenship.
Who it would apply to is the part most often lost in the coverage. It is aimed primarily at people granted permanent residence as refugees or as others in need of protection, and at their family members. It does not apply to labour migrants, and it does not apply to EU citizens.
Nothing has been decided. The proposal went out for consultation and drew heavy criticism, including from public bodies arguing that it breaks the administrative-law principle that a decision made in someone's favour should not later be withdrawn to their disadvantage. The Migration Agency has warned that reassessing the permits could cost up to six billion kronor, several times the 1.2 billion the inquiry estimated. The governing parties are not agreed either: the prime minister has said the inquiry must be supplemented before it could be implemented, others say it fails to explain how people who lose a permanent permit would become citizens instead, and there is reported resistance inside the Liberals' parliamentary group.
The Sweden Democrats want to press ahead, and their leader has said he finds it hard to see the change not happening if the Tido parties win, while expecting a fresh negotiation on how it would be done.
If you hold a permanent residence permit, nothing changes today, and nothing changes because of this. What would put you beyond it, whatever happens after the election, is citizenship. If you are close to meeting the requirements, this is a sensible moment to check exactly where you stand.