Overview: According to the Swedish Security Services annual assessment in February 2018, Sweden faces “a new normal,” with an estimated 2,000 “Islamist extremists” and 1,000 “white supremacist and leftist violent extremists” present in the country. In 2018, Sweden strengthened its counterterrorism legal framework to improve interdiction, surveillance, and prosecution of terrorists. In September 2018, Sweden ratified the EU’s 2017 Anti-Terrorism Directive and the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism; this included 12 legislative amendments to criminal, commercial, immigration, and other statutory codes that entered into effect on September 1, and seven additional proposals that are on the legislative calendar for 2019. At the end of 2018, the national alert level was a three (elevated threat, no evidence of planning) on a scale of five (attack imminent, evidence of planning).

Sweden is a member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. In addition to being a leader in providing humanitarian support to ISIS-affected communities, Sweden deployed 70 military trainers to Iraq in support of Defeat-ISIS efforts. Sweden is signatory to two bilateral information-sharing arrangements under the Visa Waiver Program.

2018 Terrorist Incidents: There were no reported terrorist incidents in Sweden in 2018.

Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: During 2018, amendments to 12 different laws entered into force to implement the EU’s Anti-Terrorism Directive and the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism. The most significant of these amendments were:

• It is now a criminal offense to conduct research or receive training with the intent to commit a terrorist offense.
• The definition of a terrorist offense was updated to include computer hacking connected to terrorism.
• The definition of terrorism-related travel was updated to include terrorist travel to an individual’s own country of citizenship. Previously, persons holding dual citizenship could not be punished for travelling to their own country of citizenship to conduct terrorist activities. The only exception to the new law is for Swedish citizens traveling to Sweden.
• The definition and applicability of terrorism financing was broadened and made more comprehensive. For example, it is now punishable for an individual to fund anything related to terrorism, including financing a person’s education on terrorism-related subjects, such as bomb making or document fraud.

• The jurisdiction of Swedish courts was expanded to cover terrorism-related crimes committed abroad.

The Swedish government increased the Security Service’s budget for countering terrorism threats and persons radicalized to violence by US $20.2 million for 2018, US $23.7 million for 2019, and US $23.7 million for 2020.

On June 7, Stockholm District Court sentenced Rakhmat Akilov, a citizen of Uzbekistan illegally in Sweden after having his asylum request denied, to life in prison following his terrorist truck attack in Stockholm on April 7, 2017, which killed five and injured a dozen more. If he is released from prison early, Akilov will be expelled from Sweden. The court found Akilov guilty of five murders, 119 counts of attempted murder, and 24 counts of causing danger to others. Akilov had expressed sympathy for ISIS before the attack.

Sweden is party to identity verification and border management tools such as API, the Schengen Information System, and the Visa Information System, exchanging information with other Members States on irregular immigration and border control. The EU PNR Directive came into force on August 1, 2018.

Sweden used the “serious threat to public policy or internal security” justification permitted under the Schengen Border Code to unilaterally prolong until February 2019 the temporary border controls first introduced in 2015 in response to the massive influx of asylum seekers.

Sweden implemented UNSCR 2178 to counter FTFs and UNSCR 2309 to improve aviation security, and is undertaking the necessary measures to implement UNSCR 2396 to deter terrorist travel.

Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Sweden has been a member of FATF since 1990. In order to comply with the EU’s Anti-Terrorism Directive, Sweden’s Parliament broadened the definition and applicability of terrorism financing and made them more comprehensive. For example, it is now punishable for an individual to fund anything related to terrorism, including financing a person’s education on terrorism-related subjects, such as bomb making or document fraud.

Countering Violent Extremism: In January 2018, the government opened a permanent National Center for Preventing Violent Extremism at the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brottsförebyggande Rådet or BRÅ for short) under the Ministry of Justice. This CVE Center, which replaced a temporary center that had been located under the Ministry of Culture, is tasked with coordinating efforts among government ministries, local municipalities, and civil society organizations. The new CVE Center provides national-level support, focused risk assessments, and action plans to local municipalities.

Malmo and Stockholm are members of the Strong Cities Network.

International and Regional Cooperation: Sweden is a member of the EU and supports counterterrorism efforts in regional and multilateral organizations, including the European Commission’s Radicalization Awareness Network, the EU-9 (focusing on FTFs), the Counter-Terrorism Group, the Police Working Group on Terrorism, and Europol.

Sweden continued counterterrorism capacity building projects through development assistance carried out by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and also via funding to the OSCE and UNODC’s Terrorism Prevention Branch. Sweden supported the EU’s work with capacity-building projects in prioritized countries and regions, such as Pakistan, Yemen, the Horn of Africa, the Maghreb, and the Sahel. Sweden provided trainers to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali. Sweden also participates in the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan with 25 service members and recently extended the mission through 2019. Sweden is a member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and made humanitarian contributions to ISIS-impacted populations in Iraq (US $22 million for 2018) in addition to development aid funding to Iraq (US $15 million for 2018). Sweden extended its deployment of 70 military trainers in Iraq in support of Coalition efforts until the end of 2019.