https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Europe in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed As it stands right now, a 'Tidö 2' government lacks a mandate, as does the Centre Party's dream 'middle government', and two of the four opposition parties who could form a majority refuse to rule together. If nothing changes, what does this mean for foreigners in Sweden? https://www.thelocal.com/20260914/what-does-swedens-unexpectedly-close-election-result-mean-for-foreigners Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:03:13 +0200 what-does-swedens-unexpectedly-close-election-result-mean-for-foreigners Immigration and German citizenship rules are some of the most important topics for foreign residents in Germany. Ahead of Sunday's election in Berlin, we round up what political parties in the capital have to say about their immigration policies. https://www.thelocal.com/20260916/what-political-parties-in-berlin-say-about-immigration-and-german-citizenship Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:56:23 +0200 what-political-parties-in-berlin-say-about-immigration-and-german-citizenship The European Commission is planning a revision of Schengen rules on short-stay visas to make the EU’s visa policy "more coherent, secure and effective, while facilitating legitimate travel". https://www.thelocal.com/20260914/eu-commission-mulls-revision-of-schengen-visa-rules-and-fees Mon, 14 Sep 2026 18:07:23 +0200 eu-commission-mulls-revision-of-schengen-visa-rules-and-fees Austria’s migration-background population has grown to 2.55 million even as net migration slows. The latest official yearbook also offers a closer look at where people come from, how much German they use, their place in the labour market and how migrants themselves view life in Austria. https://www.thelocal.com/20260914/six-things-austrias-new-migration-report-reveals-about-life-for-immigrants Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:51:39 +0200 six-things-austrias-new-migration-report-reveals-about-life-for-immigrants Thousands of British nationals have been refused Brexit residency rights in Sweden, with many facing deportation. We look at how Germany has taken a different approach – and the problems British residents still face here. https://www.thelocal.com/20260910/why-germany-is-not-seeing-brexit-deportations-like-sweden Thu, 10 Sep 2026 16:36:06 +0200 why-germany-is-not-seeing-brexit-deportations-like-sweden The Social Democrats want to launch a fast-track investigation into residency for people who have lived in the country for a long time in a bid to solve teen deportation and Brexit cases, the party's migration spokesperson has told The Local. https://www.thelocal.com/20260907/we-dont-want-people-who-are-integrated-in-sweden-to-be-forced-to-leave Mon, 07 Sep 2026 10:05:14 +0200 we-dont-want-people-who-are-integrated-in-sweden-to-be-forced-to-leave Five European Union countries are seeking a deal with an unnamed non-EU country to host a "return hub" for migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected, with a targeted start date of January 1, a Danish minister said Friday. https://www.thelocal.com/20260904/five-eu-countries-aim-to-send-rejected-migrants-to-return-hubs-by-2027 Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:24:01 +0200 five-eu-countries-aim-to-send-rejected-migrants-to-return-hubs-by-2027 The Social Democrats are planning to launch a government inquiry which will carry out a major review of the country's migration legislation, arguing that years of piecemeal reforms have made the rules unnecessarily complicated and contradictory. https://www.thelocal.com/20260904/social-democrats-plan-huge-inquiry-to-clean-up-swedish-immigration-law Fri, 04 Sep 2026 11:11:48 +0200 social-democrats-plan-huge-inquiry-to-clean-up-swedish-immigration-law Sweden's migration minister has defended the country's unusually high refusal rate for post-Brexit residency in response to a parliamentary question asking what action he will take to stop high profile deportations of elderly British citizens. https://www.thelocal.com/20260902/sweden-has-fulfilled-its-commitments-migration-minister-defends-brexit-deportations Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:57:48 +0200 sweden-has-fulfilled-its-commitments-migration-minister-defends-brexit-deportations Many foreigners need a residence permit to stay in Germany legally. Residence permits can be renewed a few weeks before expiry, but waiting times of several months or more are common. So what are your rights while you wait to hear back? https://www.thelocal.com/20250121/qa-what-are-your-rights-while-waiting-for-a-german-residence-permit Tue, 21 Jan 2025 16:12:41 +0100 qa-what-are-your-rights-while-waiting-for-a-german-residence-permit Green Party immigration spokesperson Annika Hirvonen has called for Sweden to reinstate the humanitarian safety clause abolished in 2023, arguing that this would prevent the deportation of elderly British citizens like Horace 'George' Mason and Joyce Thomas. https://www.thelocal.com/20260824/green-party-calls-for-return-of-safety-clause-to-limit-brexit-deportations Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:22:33 +0200 green-party-calls-for-return-of-safety-clause-to-limit-brexit-deportations Shima and Bijan left the UK for Sweden seven years ago with their young daughter. If they knew then what they know now about Sweden's approach to family immigration, they say they would never have come. https://www.thelocal.com/20260820/dividing-families-iranian-academics-slam-swedens-medieval-family-immigration-laws Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:58:26 +0200 dividing-families-iranian-academics-slam-swedens-medieval-family-immigration-laws The plight of the estimated 4,000 British citizens refused post-Brexit residency rights is seeing a renewed surge in media attention, with cases reported in the UK and Swedish media. What's behind this second wave of Brexit deportations? https://www.thelocal.com/20260819/whats-causing-swedens-second-wave-of-post-brexit-deportations Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:40:11 +0200 whats-causing-swedens-second-wave-of-post-brexit-deportations Fewer than 100 Swedish citizenship applications – and only 20 through naturalisation – were approved in July, the month after new and stricter citizenship rules came into force. https://www.thelocal.com/20260817/sweden-grants-fewer-than-100-new-citizenships-the-month-after-new-rules-come-into-force Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:47:52 +0200 sweden-grants-fewer-than-100-new-citizenships-the-month-after-new-rules-come-into-force Spain and fellow EU nations moved to bury the hatchet Tuesday after a mass influx of migrants into the North African enclave of Ceuta laid bare fault lines on migration within the 27-nation bloc. https://www.thelocal.com/20260803/eu-chief-urges-united-action-on-borders-after-spains-ceuta-migrant-rush Mon, 03 Aug 2026 15:09:23 +0200 eu-chief-urges-united-action-on-borders-after-spains-ceuta-migrant-rush While Germany benefits from a surge of incoming students and skilled workers from South Asia, and especially India, many new arrivals end up in exploitative jobs. Immigration and labour researcher Aju John says that's not an accident, it's by design. https://www.thelocal.com/20260729/the-law-is-absent-how-indians-in-germany-are-exploited-in-the-workforce Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:37:39 +0200 the-law-is-absent-how-indians-in-germany-are-exploited-in-the-workforce Proof of knowledge of basic Swedish civics, history, geography, and culture will now be required to obtain Swedish citizenship. An official study booklet for the new test is now out. How well do you know the material? https://www.thelocal.com/20260512/quiz-can-you-pass-the-locals-mock-swedish-citizenship-test Tue, 12 May 2026 09:31:50 +0200 quiz-can-you-pass-the-locals-mock-swedish-citizenship-test A majority of EU countries called on Saturday for emergency talks on the sudden inflow of tens of thousands of migrants into Spain's enclave of Ceuta in North Africa. https://www.thelocal.com/20260801/eu-countries-call-for-talks-over-migrant-influx-into-spanish-enclave Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:00:35 +0200 eu-countries-call-for-talks-over-migrant-influx-into-spanish-enclave Italy said Friday it had suspended its Schengen agreement with Spain, following the influx of migrants into Madrid's Ceuta enclave in north Africa, bordering Morocco. https://www.thelocal.com/20260801/italy-suspends-schengen-agreement-with-spain Sat, 01 Aug 2026 10:03:17 +0200 italy-suspends-schengen-agreement-with-spain Several EU countries have caused a stir when they called to shut Spain out of the EU's visa-free Schengen travel zone after the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in Morocco was overwhelmed this week by thousands of migrant arrivals. Is that possible? https://www.thelocal.com/20260731/can-an-eu-member-state-be-kicked-out-of-schengen-zone Fri, 31 Jul 2026 15:18:33 +0200 can-an-eu-member-state-be-kicked-out-of-schengen-zone