Beautifully written. As a highly skilled worker living here, this hits close to home. Changing the rules retroactively for people already in the system is a massive breach of trust. It makes it very clear where we stand, and it’s a strong incentive for many of us to take our skills and careers elsewhere to a country where we are actually welcomed and valued.
Not only those currently stuck in the citizenship queue feel betrayed. I moved to Sweden in 2022, before the current government won the last election, and I did so with genuine trust in the rules and the long‑term path toward citizenship. My family built our lives here based on the system that existed at the time - learning the language, integrating into society, and planning for a stable future. When the rules suddenly change without transition protections, it doesn’t just affect applications on paper; it disrupts real families who made decisions in good faith.
I am so sorry this injustice has happened, for your sake and for Sweden’s. Switzerland, where I live, is voting this weekend on the “No to 10 Million” referendum proposed by the SVP (Switzerland’s right-wing party). If it passes, the permanent resident population here would be capped at 10 million, and—more importantly—various economic treaties and agreements for the free movement of people would be broken. The likely result would be a recession, along the lines of what the UK has seen since Brexit.
My husband and I already have permanent residency, so we wouldn’t be directly affected, but I still get angry when I think about how many people here support this referendum. In our eight years living in Switzerland, we have put hundreds of thousands of francs into the Swiss economy, either directly through our taxes or indirectly through our purchases. But I guess there are people out there who hate immigrants more than they like money.
That is brutal, Scott. Sorry to hear that government incompetence is worldwide. I'm going for residency in Argentina soon and hope they don't move the goal posts too.
Unfortunately, this wave of nationalism is quite wide. I hope for your sake they don't as well, they have a very favorable program there and glad you can make it your home.
Beautifully written. As a highly skilled worker living here, this hits close to home. Changing the rules retroactively for people already in the system is a massive breach of trust. It makes it very clear where we stand, and it’s a strong incentive for many of us to take our skills and careers elsewhere to a country where we are actually welcomed and valued.
Thank you, and I am sorry that it affected you as well.
Not only those currently stuck in the citizenship queue feel betrayed. I moved to Sweden in 2022, before the current government won the last election, and I did so with genuine trust in the rules and the long‑term path toward citizenship. My family built our lives here based on the system that existed at the time - learning the language, integrating into society, and planning for a stable future. When the rules suddenly change without transition protections, it doesn’t just affect applications on paper; it disrupts real families who made decisions in good faith.
This is totally true, sorry to hear it has affected you as well.
Officially ashamed to be a Swede 🤡 Great write-up, Scott!
Thanks. The shame should be in parliament, not on you.
I am so sorry this injustice has happened, for your sake and for Sweden’s. Switzerland, where I live, is voting this weekend on the “No to 10 Million” referendum proposed by the SVP (Switzerland’s right-wing party). If it passes, the permanent resident population here would be capped at 10 million, and—more importantly—various economic treaties and agreements for the free movement of people would be broken. The likely result would be a recession, along the lines of what the UK has seen since Brexit.
My husband and I already have permanent residency, so we wouldn’t be directly affected, but I still get angry when I think about how many people here support this referendum. In our eight years living in Switzerland, we have put hundreds of thousands of francs into the Swiss economy, either directly through our taxes or indirectly through our purchases. But I guess there are people out there who hate immigrants more than they like money.
Thanks for sharing this. Sad to see the same thing playing out in Switzerland too. Hope it goes the right way this weekend.
That is brutal, Scott. Sorry to hear that government incompetence is worldwide. I'm going for residency in Argentina soon and hope they don't move the goal posts too.
Unfortunately, this wave of nationalism is quite wide. I hope for your sake they don't as well, they have a very favorable program there and glad you can make it your home.
Whelp, that's depressing...
It really is.