Sweden’s unjust “Snitch law”
In Sweden, the so-called new “Snitch Law”, likely to enter into law in 2026, would force public employees to contact the Police Authority if they have reason to assume that someone they have encountered lacks the right to stay in Sweden. They then provide the Police Authority with personal data such as the person’s citizenship, social security number, name and residential address. The transfer of data aims to assist the Police Authority and Migration Agency in combatting irregular migration. However, Civil Rights Defenders assess it instead leads to irregular migrants feeling unsafe and less likely to access authorities providing essential services and that any many cases personal data will be transfers unjustly.
Civil Rights Defenders will determine if the GDPR can be an effective tool for challenging the “Snitch-law” through litigation, after which they plan to either bring a civil lawsuit in Sweden or make a complaint to the European Commission.
Sweden’s unjust “Snitch law”
Organisation Name
Civil Rights Defenders
Country/Jurisdiction
Sweden
Amount Granted
EUR 19,138
Current Status
Ongoing
Image credit: Noelle Otto on Pexels
Grant type
Pre-litigation Research Support
Description
In Sweden, the so-called new “Snitch Law”, likely to enter into law in 2026, would force public employees to contact the Police Authority if they have reason to assume that someone they have encountered lacks the right to stay in Sweden. They then provide the Police Authority with personal data such as the person’s citizenship, social security number, name and residential address. The transfer of data aims to assist the Police Authority and Migration Agency in combatting irregular migration. However, Civil Rights Defenders assess it instead leads to irregular migrants feeling unsafe and less likely to access authorities providing essential services and that in many cases personal data will be transfered unjustly.
Civil Rights Defenders will determine if the GDPR can be an effective tool for challenging the “Snitch-law” through litigation, after which they plan to either bring a civil lawsuit in Sweden or make a complaint to the European Commission.
"it instead leads to irregular migrants feeling unsafe and less likely to access authorities providing essential services and that in many cases personal data will be transfered unjustly"
Strategic Goal
- More irregular migrants feel safe when accessing essential services from authorities and more individuals are protected against unjustified transfers of their personal data.
- The GDPR is shown to be a tool for challenging restrictive policies to control and combat irregular migration which often impede digital rights through transfer of personal data, surveillance or use of biometric data.
Media and related links