Stockholm, June 15, 2026 – The Europe Today: Sweden’s opposition parties, the Green Party (MP) and the Centre Party (C), have launched a bid to halt the government’s proposal to tighten regulations governing the detention of children who do not have the legal right to remain in the country.
During a parliamentary debate on Sunday, the two parties announced they would jointly invoke a rarely used constitutional mechanism known as a “declaration of suspension,” with a vote on the measure scheduled for Monday.
The provision, contained in Sweden’s Instrument of Government, enables a parliamentary minority to delay legislation that may infringe upon fundamental rights and freedoms. The mechanism has been used only sparingly in the country’s political history.
To activate the suspension, support from at least one-sixth of members of the Riksdag is required. According to Green Party parliamentary leader Annika Hirvonen, the opposition is expected to secure sufficient backing.
“I would say this is a crystal-clear case for which this emergency brake in the constitution was made,” Hirvonen said, adding that the entire opposition is expected to support the move.
If approved, the matter will be referred to the Riksdag’s Constitutional Committee, which will assess whether the proposal meets the formal criteria outlined in the constitution.
Centre Party migration and integration policy spokesperson Niels Paarup-Petersen stressed that while effective return procedures are important, detaining children is not an acceptable solution.
“Putting children in detention is depriving them of their liberty; it is not a reasonable measure. These people have not committed any crimes either,” he said.
The government’s proposed legislation seeks to tighten detention rules as part of broader migration and return policies, but critics argue that the measures could undermine the rights and welfare of children.
