Sweden changes constitution to allow revoking dual nationals’ citizenship

Sweden's parliament has approved a constitutional amendment allowing the citizenship of dual nationals to be revoked if they obtained it fraudulently or were convicted of crimes threatening the country's national interests.

The amendment was passed with 292 votes in favour and 51 against. However, following inconclusive elections, it will be up to the next government to present a bill to implement the changes.

Under the amendment, it will be possible to introduce legislation allowing Swedish citizenship to be revoked from dual nationals if they obtained it on a "false basis" or were convicted of crimes that seriously threaten Sweden's "vital interests".

The outgoing centre-right government, led by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and supported in parliament by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, said last year that it was considering ways to revoke the citizenship of dual nationals convicted in organised crime and gang-related cases.

Amending the constitution requires two parliamentary votes separated by a general election. The vote on November 11 was the second approval required to complete the process.

All parties voted in favour of the amendment except the Left Party and the Green Party, both of which voted against it.

Kristersson currently leads a caretaker government as political parties struggle to form a new administration following the September 13 election.

The outgoing government had been working on a bill to implement the constitutional amendment, but it has not yet been completed.

It will therefore be up to the next government to decide how to proceed, including defining which crimes could lead to the revocation of citizenship.

Civil rights groups have voiced criticism of the move.

"In practice, the proposal would create two types of Swedish citizenship: one that is robust and one that is weak and conditional. This raises serious questions about equality before the law," Aida Samani, senior legal adviser at Civil Rights Defenders, said in a statement ahead of Wednesday's vote.