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Utvisning på grund av brott - ett rättssäkert och effektivt rättsmedel eller ett slag i luften?

Lindqvist, Sandra LU (2020) JURM02 20201
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract (Swedish)
En utlänning som begår brott med fängelse i straffskalan kan utvisas ur Sverige. Utlänningen måste, för att utvisning ska bli aktuellt, dömas till ett strängare straff än böter och det måste antingen föreligga en risk för återfall i brottslighet eller vara fråga om ett brott som är så allvarligt att utlänningen inte bör få stanna i landet. Vid prövningen av utvisningsfrågan ska domstolen dessutom ta hänsyn till utlänningens anknytning till det svenska samhället och göra en helhetsbedömning där skälen för och emot utvisning vägs mot varandra. Har utlänningen vistats i Sverige en längre tid krävs det synnerliga skäl för utvisning vilket innebär ett mycket starkt skydd för den enskilde.

Lagstiftningen om utvisning på grund av brott är... (More)
En utlänning som begår brott med fängelse i straffskalan kan utvisas ur Sverige. Utlänningen måste, för att utvisning ska bli aktuellt, dömas till ett strängare straff än böter och det måste antingen föreligga en risk för återfall i brottslighet eller vara fråga om ett brott som är så allvarligt att utlänningen inte bör få stanna i landet. Vid prövningen av utvisningsfrågan ska domstolen dessutom ta hänsyn till utlänningens anknytning till det svenska samhället och göra en helhetsbedömning där skälen för och emot utvisning vägs mot varandra. Har utlänningen vistats i Sverige en längre tid krävs det synnerliga skäl för utvisning vilket innebär ett mycket starkt skydd för den enskilde.

Lagstiftningen om utvisning på grund av brott är knapphändigt formulerad och medför oklarheter i många avseenden. Exempel på oklarheter är vilka faktorer som får vägas in i en återfallsriskbedömning när det inte föreligger någon tidigare dokumenterad brottslighet och hur faktorerna i bedömningen av en utlännings anknytning ska värderas. Problematiken med dessa oklarheter medför svårigheter att förutse utgången i den helhetsbedömning som domstolen gör då skälen för och emot utvisning vägs mot varandra. Det är rimligt att anta att oklarheterna även kan leda till att lika fall inte behandlas lika eftersom domstolen ges stort tolkningsutrymme i sin helhetsbedömning. Ur ett rättssäkerhetsperspektiv är dessa omständigheter problematiska då rättssäkerhet till stor del bygger på att lagen ska vara förutsebar. För att avhjälpa problematiken krävs att lagstiftaren tar tydligare ställning och vågar lagstifta i frågorna.

Den statistik som är tillgänglig avseende utvisning på grund av brott tyder på att de utlänningar som har svag eller saknar anknytning till det svenska samhället utvisas i betydligt högre grad än de som har stark anknytning. Statistiken bekräftar således att det skydd mot utvisning som lagstiftaren valt att införa är mycket starkt. Lagstiftningen kan, i denna aspekt, anses vara effektiv eftersom den uppnått vad lagstiftaren ämnat. Statistiken visar dock generellt på låga siffror avseende utvisning för fängelsedömda utlänningar. Lagstiftningen om utvisning på grund av brott ter sig således inte effektiv i fråga om hur frekvent det blir aktuellt. (Less)
Abstract
A foreigner who commits a crime that has prison in the punishment scale can be expelled from Sweden. For expulsion to become relevant the foreigner must be sentenced to a more severe penalty than a fine. There must also be a risk of relapse in crime or be a matter of such a severe crime that the foreigner should not be allowed to stay in the country. When the court examine the expulsion issue, it must consider the foreigner´s connection to Swedish society and thereafter make an overall assessment of the reasons for and against expulsion. If the foreigner has been living in Sweden for a long period of time, special reasons for expulsion are required. These special reasons make up a very strong protection from expulsion for the foreigner.

... (More)
A foreigner who commits a crime that has prison in the punishment scale can be expelled from Sweden. For expulsion to become relevant the foreigner must be sentenced to a more severe penalty than a fine. There must also be a risk of relapse in crime or be a matter of such a severe crime that the foreigner should not be allowed to stay in the country. When the court examine the expulsion issue, it must consider the foreigner´s connection to Swedish society and thereafter make an overall assessment of the reasons for and against expulsion. If the foreigner has been living in Sweden for a long period of time, special reasons for expulsion are required. These special reasons make up a very strong protection from expulsion for the foreigner.

The legislation in expulsion due to crime is briefly formulated and entails uncertainties in many aspects. Examples of these uncertainties are which factors that may be considered in a risk of relapse in crime assessment when there is no previously documented crime and how the factors in the assessment of a foreigner´s connection to Swedish society should be evaluated. These uncertainties entail difficulties in predicting the outcome of the overall assessment of the court when the reasons for and against expulsion are weighed. It is reasonable to assume that the uncertainties can lead to equal cases not being treated equally, as the court is given a lot of room for interpretation in its overall assessment. From a rule of law perspective these circumstances are problematic as the rule of law is firmly based on the law being predictable. The legislator needs to take a clearer position in the legislation to remediate the present issues.

The statistics available regarding expulsion due to crime indicate that foreigners who have a weak or no connection to the Swedish society are expelled to a much greater extent than those who have a strong connection. The statistics thus confirm that the protection against expulsion for foreigners with a strong connection to the Swedish society is as strong as the legislator intended. Legislation can, in this aspect, be considered effective because it has achieved what the legislature intended. However, the statistics generally show low numbers of expulsion of foreigners sentenced to prison. Thus, the law on expulsion due to crime does not appear to be effective in terms of how frequently expulsion due to crime is used. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Lindqvist, Sandra LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Expulsion due to Crime - an Effective Legal Remedy Based on the Rule of Law or a shot in the dark?
course
JURM02 20201
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
Utvisning, Brott, Straffrätt
language
Swedish
id
9010630
date added to LUP
2020-06-18 21:01:36
date last changed
2020-06-18 21:01:36
@misc{9010630,
  abstract     = {{A foreigner who commits a crime that has prison in the punishment scale can be expelled from Sweden. For expulsion to become relevant the foreigner must be sentenced to a more severe penalty than a fine. There must also be a risk of relapse in crime or be a matter of such a severe crime that the foreigner should not be allowed to stay in the country. When the court examine the expulsion issue, it must consider the foreigner´s connection to Swedish society and thereafter make an overall assessment of the reasons for and against expulsion. If the foreigner has been living in Sweden for a long period of time, special reasons for expulsion are required. These special reasons make up a very strong protection from expulsion for the foreigner.

The legislation in expulsion due to crime is briefly formulated and entails uncertainties in many aspects. Examples of these uncertainties are which factors that may be considered in a risk of relapse in crime assessment when there is no previously documented crime and how the factors in the assessment of a foreigner´s connection to Swedish society should be evaluated. These uncertainties entail difficulties in predicting the outcome of the overall assessment of the court when the reasons for and against expulsion are weighed. It is reasonable to assume that the uncertainties can lead to equal cases not being treated equally, as the court is given a lot of room for interpretation in its overall assessment. From a rule of law perspective these circumstances are problematic as the rule of law is firmly based on the law being predictable. The legislator needs to take a clearer position in the legislation to remediate the present issues. 

The statistics available regarding expulsion due to crime indicate that foreigners who have a weak or no connection to the Swedish society are expelled to a much greater extent than those who have a strong connection. The statistics thus confirm that the protection against expulsion for foreigners with a strong connection to the Swedish society is as strong as the legislator intended. Legislation can, in this aspect, be considered effective because it has achieved what the legislature intended. However, the statistics generally show low numbers of expulsion of foreigners sentenced to prison. Thus, the law on expulsion due to crime does not appear to be effective in terms of how frequently expulsion due to crime is used.}},
  author       = {{Lindqvist, Sandra}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Utvisning på grund av brott - ett rättssäkert och effektivt rättsmedel eller ett slag i luften?}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}