The State of the World's Human Rights; Sweden 2025

Concerns persisted over repression of climate activists for acts of civil disobedience. National legislation remained inadequate to protect Indigenous rights. The use of a discriminatory risk model in the benefits system was discontinued. The government proposed reforms that would erode the rights of migrants and refugees in various areas.

Freedom of peaceful assembly

In July, the Supreme Court acquitted 11 climate activists accused of sabotage after blocking a road, concluding that the action did not reach the level of social disruption required for a conviction. During the year, however, others faced arrest and prosecution for acts of civil disobedience. In September, six Greenpeace activists convicted of trespass for protesting against the expansion of an oil refinery in 2020 brought a case against Sweden before the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that their right to freedom of expression had been violated.

Indigenous peoples’ rights

There remained no legislative safeguards obliging decision-makers to obtain free, prior and informed consent from Sámi institutions – and the state failed to ensure meaningful consultations – before initiating land use projects that could significantly impact on Sámi rights. In October, the Equality Ombudsman criticized Sweden’s failure to respect Sámi rights.

The EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act enabled an intensification of mining on traditional Sámi lands, further threatening Sámi rights.¹

Discrimination

In November, the Authority for Privacy Protection announced that the Social Insurance Agency was no longer using the AI tool employed to risk-profile applicants in the automated state welfare system. The tool’s intrusive algorithms had discriminated against people on the basis of their gender, “foreign background”, income and level of education.

Refugees’ and migrants’ rights

The government continued to put forward harmful changes to asylum and migration laws. Areas of concern included amendments to the rules on permanent residence, family reunification, returns, access to welfare benefits, citizenship and legal aid in asylum procedures.

In April, a commission of inquiry set up by the government proposed the introduction of a vaguely defined “good conduct” requirement in the Aliens Act. This would lead to the risk of residence permits being denied or revoked based on behaviour that was neither illegal nor punishable for Swedish citizens. The Equality Ombudsman opposed the proposals, finding that they carried a risk of discrimination.

Sexual and reproductive rights

In December, the government proposed a bill which would amend the constitution to enshrine the right to abortion.

Right to a healthy environment

According to data published by the country’s Climate Policy Council in March, Sweden’s existing climate policies were insufficient to meet its climate targets and EU commitments for 2030. Similar concerns were raised in the same month by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

1. Finland, Norway, Sweden: Just Transition or “Green Colonialism”?: How Mineral Extraction and New Energy Projects Without Free, Prior and Informed Consent Are Threatening Indigenous Sámi Livelihoods and Culture in Sweden, Norway and Finland, 1 January ↩︎