Banthita was expelled as a teenager - may be allowed to return

The valve means that young adults under the age of 21 who previously had a residence permit due to connection to a parent or the parent's partner have the opportunity to apply for a residence permit again through connection. Banthita, then 18, lived her life like any other Swedish teenager. She was looking forward to graduating, practice driving, working out and hanging out with her friends. But in December 2024, the Swedish Migration Agency decided that she lacked grounds for an extended residence permit. This despite the fact that her mother and little sister were allowed to stay - and despite the fact that she was still classified as a child in her home country of Thailand.

Banthita's deportation order to Thailand was implemented a year ago. She has lived as a student on her own in the multi-million dollar city of Bangkok. The father has been deceased for many years.

When the Tidö government presented the teenage valve, the family's hope was ignited.

But now various messages are coming from the Migration Agency about the application, which causes concern in the family at the same time as time is short - Banthita turns 21 in February.

The Killgren family, mother Bhuppa, sister Pathitta and bonus father Christer are huddled together on the sofa in the living room in Strängnäs villa idyll. They have done the best they can, but the void and worry over the eldest daughter in Thailand grows every day.

- Banthita calls me two, three times a day. She cries often, says Bhuppa, who himself cannot hold back the tears.

She came to Sweden with her daughters in 2022 for the love of Swedish Christer. Bhuppa learned Swedish and started working in home care, where she recently became a permanent employee. The girls quickly took root in Sweden and became intertwined with their bonus family, says Christer Killgren.

- Our family is divided. I don't understand how you can do this to a family. As a Swedish citizen, should I not be able to fall in love with a person from another country and take care of her child? I have the finances for that.

The valve means that young adults under the age of 21 who previously had a residence permit due to a relationship with a parent or the parent's partner have the opportunity to reapply for a relationship. Those who, like Banthita, have had their deportation orders executed and must apply for a residence permit from abroad may make a new first-time application.

Then the relative must meet the support requirement alone.

But if, on the other hand, you are still in Sweden, it will be an extension application instead. The Swedish Migration Agency can then take into account several incomes in the household.

In Banthita's case, the family and their lawyer initially received several different messages from the authority about what applies to her application.

- It is unclear what the legislator's intentions have been in relation to this group. It is said that young adults who have had time to receive deportation orders should not end up in a worse situation, but nothing is mentioned about how their applications will be affected by the new design of the support requirement, says the family's lawyer Hanna Johansson.

At the Swedish Migration Agency, they play down the image that there would be uncertainty about the rules.

- Our goal is that no one should fall outside the framework. Banthita's case is being prioritized right now because it falls within the framework of this category, says section manager Anders Annemalm Sandén.

Hanna Johansson also criticizes the supply requirement that includes the teenage valve.

- I think it is gut-wrenching to talk about teenage valves and say that you want to stop this type of unreasonable expulsion of young adults when in the same bill you tighten the support requirement. This means that many of those who say they want to help through this valve now risk being rejected for other reasons instead.

The red-green parties agree on a stop law against teenage deportations, but the Swedish Migration Agency has not paused deportations while waiting for the law to come into force.

Annika Hirvonen (MP) wants the age limit and the dependency requirement to be abolished for the group.

- We want children and parents to be able to live together. It should not be dependent on what salary the parents have. The right to family is so fundamental that it must come first. It would affect many cases where children would be allowed to stay with their families in Sweden, she says.