Sweden faces a critical shortage of people willing and able to work in essential professions like healthcare, social care, schools, and industry. Despite this, we are deporting people who are already doing these jobs.
Our local member of parliament for Västerbotten, Nils Seye Larsen (Green Party), recently highlighted a case involving his personal assistant. She has worked for him almost full-time for nearly six years and meets all the requirements for a work permit.
Her husband works at an LSS home (working with people with disabilties), which is experiencing an acute staff shortage.
Their children were born or raised here. However, the entire family is being forced to leave the country because the government, with the support of the Sweden Democrats and unfortunately also the Social Democrats, has retroactively abolished the "track change" rule.
The "track change" rule was designed to give individuals who were denied asylum a chance to remain in the country if they could support themselves through work. It served as an incentive, promoting integration and self-sufficiency.
Abolishing this rule is problematic enough, but doing so retroactively is a betrayal. It punishes those who have followed the rules, and it harms a society that needs their contributions.
This isn't an isolated incident. Across the country, young people who have lived here for most of their lives are being deported when they turn 18.
They are torn away from their friends, studies, and security and are sent alone to countries where they often lack social networks and future prospects. This policy not only creates human suffering but also throws away the significant investment our society has made in their education and integration.
We see the same pattern right here in Skellefteå. When Northvolt was established, specialists from around the world came to help build and work in the battery factory.
But when the company went bankrupt, these people were not given the opportunity to stay, find new jobs, or wait for a new owner. They were forced to leave the country if they hadn't found work within 90 days.
Now, as the operations are set to restart, we must begin from scratch, trying to attract the same talent back.
Simultaneously, our healthcare and social care sectors are struggling with a growing staff shortage, even though many people who are willing and able to work in these fields are already here - or were here before they were sent away.
Closing our borders to people who contribute to our society is not only inhumane - it is a waste of capital and directly harms Sweden.
When we deport people who care for and support our society and our industries, we are not just breaking apart their lives, but also jeopardizing the future of our own country.
This is a debate article. The opinions expressed in the text are the writer's own.