Citizenship revocation would divide Swedes by the passports they hold
A proposed constitutional change could expose dual citizens to a sanction that other Swedes cannot face.
Sweden is considering a power that could strip some citizens of the nationality protecting their place in the country, while leaving other citizens beyond its reach.
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A government inquiry proposes a constitutional route for revoking Swedish citizenship in specified serious cases. Its own boundary is decisive: revocation must not leave anyone stateless.
That condition creates two legal positions among Swedes. A dual citizen could potentially lose Swedish nationality because another citizenship remains. A person who holds only Swedish citizenship could not receive the same sanction without becoming stateless.
The Swedish Institute for Human Rights says its review raises questions of equality, proportionality and legal certainty. The issue is wider than punishment: citizenship determines residence, political membership and the security of knowing that Sweden cannot treat you as removable.
No one has lost citizenship under this proposal. The constitutional and legislative framework is still being developed, and its offences, safeguards and review procedures may change. Protection against statelessness is also a binding limit, not an optional detail.
The accountability test is therefore exact: lawmakers must explain why the same conduct could make one Swedish citizen removable while another remains constitutionally secure, and show that every distinction is necessary, reviewable and proportionate.
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