An eight-month-old boy, Emanuel, born in Sweden to Iranian parents, faces deportation to Iran, despite his family’s legal residency in the country. The case highlights a recent change in Swedish immigration law and has sparked concern over the potential impact on families who initially arrived through a “track-change” program.
Masoumeh Ghorbani, Emanuel’s mother, is employed as a nurse at Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm. She and her husband, Mehrad Alidoust, initially sought asylum in Sweden but later secured work permits through the now-discontinued “spårbyte” (track-change) program, which allowed asylum seekers to transition to work-based residency. According to Sveriges Radio, the family believed their status guaranteed their ability to remain together in Sweden.
However, a legislative amendment enacted approximately one year ago eliminated the possibility for family members to join those who gained residency through the spårbyte program. Jesper Tengroth, press officer at the Swedish Migration Agency, explained that without a specific legal basis for residency, the agency is unable to grant it. “What I can say generally is that if there is no paragraph to hook a residence permit on, the Migration Agency cannot grant it,” Tengroth stated, adding that questions regarding the legislation itself should be directed to the government and parliament.
The Migration Agency, in a statement submitted during the legislative review process, reportedly flagged the potential consequences of removing the spårbyte option for families. According to Tengroth, the agency cautioned that the impact on children and relatives had not been sufficiently investigated.
Tengroth also indicated that Emanuel’s case is not isolated, suggesting that other families may find themselves in a similar predicament. He emphasized that the agency strives to carry out deportations of children alongside a parent or guardian, and that no child should be deported alone. Current security concerns in Iran are preventing deportations to the country at this time.
The family has appealed the deportation order. The outcome of the appeal remains uncertain, as Tengroth noted that numerous factors could influence the final decision before any deportation order is enforced.
