Citizens of the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) staying in Sweden for more than three months might be required to register with the country’s authorities after the government of Sweden considers making such a requirement compulsory.
At present, all EU citizens are eligible to live in another EU country for up to three months without being subject to additional requirements. They are only required to obtain a valid Schengen passport or ID card, Schengen.News reports.
However, before 2014, citizens of European Union countries were obliged to register with the authorities when staying in Sweden for more than three months. Such a rule is now considered to be brought back by the Swedish government, according to a report from The Local.
The government is actively working to combat the shadow economy, and the new inquiry will be part of mapping the extent of the problem.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell of the Moderate Party
The minister said that in an effort to prevent crime, fraud, and abuse of the system, the government is considering implementing these rules to determine who is in Sweden and why for the safety of the Swedish people.
A migration spokesperson for the Sweden Democrats, Ludvig Aspling, vowed that Sweden would improve its ability to see who is in the country.
The system of residence rights for EEA citizens has long been abused by people who have come to Sweden without any intention of working or pulling their weight. Part of the work against this is to introduce registration of such people.
a migration spokesperson for the Sweden Democrats, Ludvig Aspling
Tightened Border Control Measures
Similar to several other European countries, authorities in Sweden have also introduced new measures to enhance national security.
In addition, authorities in Sweden are currently maintaining control of all the country’s internal borders.
In November last year, Sweden informed the European Commission that controls at all the country’s borders would be kept in place until at least May 11, 2025, mentioning terrorism concerns among the main reasons for this decision.
Serious threats to public policy and internal security posed by recent terrorism-related events and serious crime associated with an ongoing armed conflict in the organised and gang-related crime environment; all internal borders (land, air, and sea).
Sweden’s notification to the EU
As part of efforts to prevent people who pose a security risk from acquiring citizenship in this country, Swedish authorities announced that tightened controls would soon be applied to those applying for citizenship.