Track Changers May Return to Sweden After 19-Day Absence, Officials Confirm

Sweden’s Migration Minister Faces Criticism Over Asylum Seeker Work Permit Policy

Migration Minister Johan Forssell is under mounting pressure for his stance on Sweden’s controversial decision to abolish the “track change” law that previously allowed rejected asylum seekers to switch to work permits without leaving the country.

Forssell has repeatedly downplayed concerns about the policy change, claiming in various media interviews that affected individuals can simply leave Sweden for 19 days and reapply for work permits. “They have to leave the country in some cases, but the latest figures that I have seen tell me that it usually takes 19 days to get a work permit,” Forssell told The Local. “I understand, of course, that this can be some trouble for these people, but 19 days is not a very long time.”

The policy shift, implemented last April, has created significant complications for numerous migrants who have built lives in Sweden. Not only did it prevent new asylum seekers from switching tracks, but it also affected those applying for work permit extensions if they had previously utilized the track change rule—even if their extension application was submitted before the law was scrapped.

This has resulted in deportation orders for individuals who have been working in Sweden for years, despite their integration into Swedish society, language acquisition, and adherence to legal requirements.

Migration Agency data contradicts Forssell’s 19-day claim. According to official figures, only 75 percent of applications for “highly qualified workers” are processed within one month. For workers in categories commonly filled by migrants affected by the track change abolition—such as assistant nurses, personal assistants, care workers, and preschool assistants—processing times are substantially longer.

These “other” category workers typically see 75 percent of their applications processed within four months—approximately 120 days, over six times longer than the period cited by the minister. The remaining quarter of applications take even longer.

The practical implications of these extended waiting periods are severe. Affected individuals must find countries to relocate to temporarily, often at short notice. For asylum seekers who fled dangerous situations in their home countries, this creates significant challenges beyond a simple temporary relocation.

Financial strain compounds these difficulties. Without work permits, these individuals cannot legally work in Sweden while waiting for their applications to be processed, meaning they must somehow fund several months of living expenses abroad while maintaining financial obligations in Sweden.

The situation has created high-profile cases that highlight the human impact of the policy. Fereshteh Javani, who fled Iran in 2019 and works as a personal assistant, and the Iranian couple Zahra Kazemipour and Afshad Joubeh, whose deportation order prompted protests from colleagues at Stockholm’s Södersjukhuset hospital, exemplify those caught in this bureaucratic limbo. Despite Kazemipour being described as “one of our most skilled assistant nurses in the operating room,” the couple’s previous work permit application took over three months to process.

For families, the disruption extends beyond employment. Children face school interruptions lasting potentially months, uncertainty about educational opportunities, and risks to their long-term residency status. Teenagers approaching 18 years of age face particular vulnerability as they may lose eligibility for residency as dependents.

Employers also confront significant operational challenges. Healthcare facilities, schools, and other essential services struggle with workforce planning, unable to determine when or if their staff members will return. For individuals receiving personal assistance services, the disruption threatens continuity of care and severs established trust relationships.

Critics argue that the policy undermines Sweden’s integration efforts and creates unnecessary hardship for migrants who have followed legal pathways and contributed to Swedish society and economy, particularly in sectors facing workforce shortages.

As pressure mounts from affected workers, employers, and advocacy groups, the government’s stance on the track change abolition remains a contentious issue in Sweden’s ongoing immigration policy debate.