Lisa Magnusson: How could Sweden do this to Banthita?

What happens to the teenage expulsions?

There is broad political consensus that they must stop - at least no party dares to oppose: the popular resistance is simply too great. Most people don't want to uproot well-behaved young people and expel them because they happened to come of age. (Some of us even think that young people don't even have to be exemplary students with a strong extracurricular involvement in the Scouts to have the right to stay with their families.)

The Riksdag decided in October to put an end to these deportations. Yet they continue. According to the Swedish Migration Agency's press manager, Ulrika Karlsson, "a very clear and defined mandate" is required to stop this (SvD 30/10). I don't understand how much clearer information you need to have? In addition, shouldn't the opposite principle apply when it comes to such life-changing decisions involving such young and vulnerable people: you pause until everything is clear?

And what about those already sent at the gate? Such as 20-year-old Banthita, who DN told about the other day. She was deported alone to Thailand as an 18-year-old in December 2024. Remaining in Sweden are her mother, little sister and bonus father – her biological father has long since died. Her mother has tears in her eyes when she tells about how her daughter calls two, three times a day and cries (DN 6/11).

"Our family is divided. I don't understand that you can do that to a family. Shouldn't I, as a Swedish citizen, be able to fall in love with a person from another country and take care of her child?" says her bonus dad in the interview.

Will she be allowed to come back? The messages from the Swedish Migration Agency have been numerous and contradictory.

The valve the Tidö government put in place to help those already deported to come back only applies until the 21st birthday, which means time is probably running out for Banthita. In addition, the maintenance requirement has now been tightened, which may also make it more difficult for her to return home to Sweden. Will she be allowed to come back?

The messages from the Swedish Migration Agency have been multiple and contradictory: the valve does not work, because the passage is clogged with ambiguities.

It is not enough that Sweden shakes its head in unison in regret. There needs to be a real change as well.

This is about real life, real family tragedies, real trauma for young people who should be thinking about things like what education to go to and what to wear to the party this weekend - not when they're going to see their mother again.