Sweden's centre-right minority government announced on Monday a set of more stringent requirements for naturalisation that will lengthen the waiting period before applying for citizenship, introduce a monthly income minimum and require applicants to demonstrate knowledge of Swedish language and society.
Under the proposals, the period of lawful residence required to file for Swedish citizenship would rise to eight years, up from the current five-year threshold. The government also said applicants would need a monthly income in excess of 20,000 Swedish crowns - reported as equivalent to $2,225 - and must pass a combined language and civic test assessing understanding of Swedish society.
"These requirements are much tougher than the situation as it is today because currently there are basically no requirements (to become a citizen)," Migration Minister Johan Forssell told reporters.
The package includes tougher rules for individuals with criminal records. The government indicated that people convicted of crimes would face extended delays before becoming eligible to apply. The government provided the example that a person who had served a four-year prison sentence would need to wait 15 years before applying for citizenship.
The changes follow a series of immigration policy shifts by successive Swedish administrations since 2015, when roughly 160,000 asylum seekers applied for refuge in the country. The current minority coalition has signalled it believes a firmer stance on immigration will resonate with voters ahead of the parliamentary election in September.
The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, who support the ruling minority coalition, have pointed to what they describe as decades of failed immigration policies as a root cause of a surge in gangland crime. The government said the new citizenship rules are expected to come into force on June 6.
Officials also noted that last week the government introduced tougher measures aimed at asylum seekers. Currency conversion cited by the government put $1 at 8.9936 Swedish crowns.
The proposed reforms touch on residency, employment income and civic knowledge as prerequisites for citizenship, and introduce specific longer waiting periods for those with criminal convictions. The government frames the measures as a major tightening relative to current practice.