Sweden grants citizenship to only 98 people in July under stricter rules

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Sweden approved citizenship for just 98 people in July 2026, the country's Migration Agency said, in a sharp drop from earlier months. The agency processed roughly 2,825 citizenship applications during the month, with only 98 receiving a positive decision. The figure compares with 1,646 approvals in June, 3,970 in May and 3,770 in April of the same year. Agency officials linked the decline to tighter citizenship rules that took effect on June 6, 2026. Under the new regulations, the residency requirement for general applicants was raised to eight years, while citizens of Scandinavian countries can apply after two years of residence. In July, the largest groups granted citizenship were nationals of Finland, Denmark and Norway, with only a handful of approvals for other nationalities. Syrian citizens received five approvals and Iraqi citizens received only two, according to the agency data.