Sweden in Focus

Special offer for membersGet Membership+ free for two months__In this week's episode: the best things about Christmas in Sweden, interview with the Greens' migration spokesperson on citizenship slowdown plans. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Richard Orange and James Savage. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:ChristmasFACT CHECK: Did a Swedish company really tell staff not to say Merry Christmas?What you need to know about travelling in Sweden for Christmas 2024Sweden's beloved TV series that changes every yearCitizenshipSweden Democrat leader: 'People who are born here should be able to lose their citizenship'Lawyers and migration experts slam Swedish government's citizenship slowdown bidWhat's the current status of Sweden's planned migration laws?Work permitsHow new Swedish migration rules could affect foreign residents in 2025'A hodgepodge of bad measures': Swedish employers' group slams work permit changes

In this week's episode: the best things about Christmas in Sweden, interview with the Greens' migration spokesperson on citizenship slowdown plans. For Membership+ subscribers: Ethiopian work permit holder faces expulsion over employer's error, and Sweden's most popular Christmas TV show explained. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Richard Orange and James Savage. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:ChristmasFACT CHECK: Did a Swedish company really tell staff not to say Merry Christmas?What you need to know about travelling in Sweden for Christmas 2024Sweden's beloved TV series that changes every yearCitizenshipSweden Democrat leader: 'People who are born here should be able to lose their citizenship'Lawyers and migration experts slam Swedish government's citizenship slowdown bidWhat's the current status of Sweden's planned migration laws?Work permitsHow new Swedish migration rules could affect foreign residents in 2025'A hodgepodge of bad measures': Swedish employers' group slams work permit changes 

In this week's episode of Sweden in Focus Extra for Membership+ subscribers, we look at the one of the Swedish opposition's biggest headaches as it struggles to present a credible alternative to the current right-wing government.  Sweden's Social Democrats enjoy the support of more than 30% of voters. That's enough to make them Sweden's biggest party but not enough to form a government alone.Their relationship with the Green Party is relatively good but if former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson is to have any chance of forming a government in 2026, she’s also going to need to call on the Left Party and the Centre Party for support.But forming a coalition that includes too parties that can hardly stand each other is no easy task.This week we get to grips with why the Left and Centre parties struggle to get along. Host Paul O’Mahony in Stockholm is joined this week by The Local's Nordic editor Richard Orange and publisher James Savage.

Special offer for membersGet Membership+ free for two months__Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Emma Löfgren. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:SyriaSweden puts Syrian asylum decisions on holdWhere did the most new Swedish citizens come from in 2024?LiteratureTen Swedish books to read this yearEXTERNAL LINK: New reading lists for Swedish preschools and schools (PDF) Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription. 

In this week's episode: Syrians react to calls for them to "go home", recommended Swedish books from a new reading list for schools. For Membership+ subscribers: how Swedish mortgage rules could be about to change for the better and what we know about new plans to attract highly skilled workers. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Emma Löfgren. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:SyriaSweden puts Syrian asylum decisions on holdWhere did the most new Swedish citizens come from in 2024?LiteratureTen Swedish books to read this yearEXTERNAL LINK: New reading lists for Swedish preschools and schools (PDF)PropertyHow Swedish mortgage rules could change (for the better) in 2025ImmigrationSweden launches new 'business council' to attract foreign talentTravel visas and other ways Sweden wants to make life easier for foreign researchers

In this week's episode of Sweden in Focus Extra for Membership+ subscribers, we speak about Sweden's citizenship slowdown plans with a law professor and the head of a powerful parliamentary committee. Host Paul O’Mahony in Stockholm is joined from Malmö by our Nordic editor Richard Orange.After Sweden's government announced it planned to slow down the processing of citizenship applications we spoke to a couple of experts about the legality of the proposal.Ida Karkiainen, a Social Democrat member of parliament and chair of the Riksdag's Committee on the Constitution, said she suspected that some of the statements made by ministers and party leaders calling for the Migration Agency to slow down the award of citizenship by carrying out deeper security checks could be deemed to be unconstitutional. "Of course, security checks are important, I think we can all agree on that, but if you want to overload the authority by doing this because of another reason, not for security issues, but that you don't want to give any more citizenships, that's a motive I think we can question."Joakim Nergelius, a professor at Örebro University and one of Sweden's foremost experts on constitutional law, said he found the government's approach "strange"."A majority in the parliament may change the law, which means that there will be new rules, but until that has happened, I think the Migration Agency is under an obligation to decide cases under the existing laws."READ ALSO:Swedish citizenship slowdown 'very sketchy', says top Social Democrat Expert: Swedish government's citizenship slowdown plan 'does not sound realistic' 

In this week's episode: Sweden’s Lucia tradition, who was Princess Birgitta, what we know about the government’s plan to stall citizenship grants.Special offer for membersGet Membership+ free for two months__Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists James Savage and Richard Orange. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:LuciaWhat you need to know about celebrating Lucia in SwedenRoyalIN PICS: Who was Princess Birgitta, King Carl XVI's outspoken elder sister?Swedish citizenshipSwedish government strikes deal to slow down Sweden citizenship awardsOPINION: Foreigners in Sweden deserve fair and transparent citizenship rulesSwedish citizenship slowdown 'very sketchy', says top Social DemocratGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription. 

SURVEY: Which topics would you most like us to cover in the Sweden in Focus Extra podcast?__Host Paul O’Mahony in Stockholm is joined from Malmö by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange after Richard paid a visit to the Migration Agency's offices."I thought that for many readers, the agency is a kind of black box: you send in your application and then you wait, often for a very long time, for a verdict," Richard explains."I thought it would be interesting for readers to get a better understanding of what’s happening inside it, what the case workers are like, how they choose which case to process, and how they approach doing this."READ ALSO:'We screen everything': How Sweden's Migration Agency handles your work permits  For Members How to get a Swedish work permit faster: Inside tips from Migration Agency staff