This guide is informational. Always verify how the rules apply to your specific case.
Brief Answer: On July 13, 2026, new regulations on enhanced return operations will come into effect. Six authorities will be required to provide certain information to the Police Authority on their own initiative when there is reason to believe that a foreign citizen does not have the right to reside in Sweden. The reform is often referred to as the angiverilag in the debate, but this is not the official name of the law.
At the same time, the Police Authority, the Swedish Migration Agency, and in certain situations, the Coast Guard, will have greater authority to seize and examine mobile phones or other electronic communication devices to establish identity. The regulations were adopted by the Riksdag on June 15, 2026, and are based on proposition 2025/26:263.
Is this an angiverilag?
The term angiverilag is used by critics, trade unions, and rights organizations. In the legal text, it concerns a duty to provide information in the Aliens Act. The distinction is important: the law that was actually adopted does not cover all public activities and does not impose a general obligation for every teacher, doctor, or social worker to report individuals.
The original political proposal was discussed more broadly. The final proactive obligation applies to six named state authorities. This does not prevent information from moving between authorities through other regulations, but healthcare, schools, and social services are not included in this particular list.
Which six authorities are required to provide information?
The new obligation on their own initiative applies to:
- Arbetsförmedlingen
- Försäkringskassan
- Kriminalvården
- Kronofogdemyndigheten
- Pensionsmyndigheten
- Skatteverket
The threshold is that there must be reason to believe that the person does not have the right to reside in Sweden. The authority does not need to conduct a full migration law assessment, but the obligation should not be based solely on appearance, language, or a loose assumption. The concerned authorities should provide information they already possess; they should not conduct their own investigation into foreign nationals.
What information can be provided to the police?
The new Chapter 17, Section 6 of the Aliens Act lists the information covered:
- name, date of birth, and citizenship,
- personal identification number, coordination number, or dossier number with the Swedish Migration Agency,
- residential address or other information on where the person regularly resides,
- telephone number, email address, and comparable contact information,
- information that the authority has foreign identity documents,
- circumstances behind the assumption that the person does not have the right to reside in the country.
The information should not be provided if it is obviously unnecessary. The law also contains exceptions for certain confidential information. This does not mean that all confidentiality automatically prevents disclosure; the new regulations are designed to override previous confidentiality barriers in certain parts.
Can side information also be reported?
Yes. The preparatory works describe that the obligation can include so-called side information: information that an authority becomes aware of in another case, even if the information is not needed for the authority's original mission. An example could be information provided spontaneously during an interview, inspection, or official duty.
This is one of the most far-reaching parts of the reform. A contact that began with tax, compensation, debt, or work can thus create a separate flow of information to the police if the threshold in the law is deemed to be met.
Are healthcare, schools, and social services included?
Not under the new proactive obligation for the six authorities. Healthcare, schools, and social services are not included in the enumeration. However, you should distinguish between direct and indirect information transfer. Information from one activity can, in certain situations, be registered or forwarded to another authority that is included, such as the Swedish Tax Agency. Additionally, there are already other regulations on the duty to provide information, confidentiality-breaking provisions, and information exchange upon request.
The claim that "all public employees must report undocumented individuals" is therefore too broad. The claim that the reform has no significance for contact with welfare is simultaneously too simplistic. The practical effect depends on what information is created, where it is sent, and which authority later possesses it.
When can the police search a mobile phone?
The new regulations apply to electronic communication equipment, such as mobile phones, tablets, or computers. During an internal immigration control, the Police Authority or the Coast Guard may temporarily seize equipment if it is necessary to establish identity. The equipment must be in the person's possession, likely used by the person, and assumed to contain identity information.
During a control, the equipment can only be retained as long as the control measure is ongoing. In cases concerning residence permits, international protection, or enforcement, there are other provisions where the seizure can, in some cases, last longer, up to a maximum of three months. An intervention is therefore not an unlimited right to read everything on the phone.
The decision can be appealed
Decisions to seize electronic communication equipment can be appealed to the Migration Court. The court can also examine whether documents have been inspected or copied in violation of the restrictions. Therefore, request a written decision, date, decision-maker, legal basis, and information on how to appeal.
What you can do if the rules affect you
- Find out which decision applies. Distinguish between ongoing asylum cases, rejection, deportation, detention, and internal immigration control.
- Have documents regarding your right of residence available. Decisions, appeals, suspensions, LMA cards, or other relevant documents can reduce the risk of incorrect assumptions.
- Ask for the legal basis. Request the authority to specify which provision and specific circumstance underlies the action.
- Document the contact. Note the time, place, authority, name or service number, and which information or items were taken.
- Request a written decision and receipt. This is particularly important if a phone, computer, passport, or other documents are seized.
- Contact a representative quickly. Explicitly ask about appeals, suspensions, and whether you have the right to public counsel.
See also our guides on recording conversations with authorities, requesting documents, and building a timeline for the Migration Agency's investigation.
FAQ about the angiverilag and the new rules
When does the law come into effect?
July 13, 2026.
Is angiverilag the official name?
No. The parliamentary matter is called strengthened return operations. "Angiverilag" is a political and journalistic term for the duty to provide information.
Must social services report undocumented individuals?
Social services are not covered by the new proactive obligation that applies to the six listed authorities. However, other rules on information exchange may become relevant in individual situations.
Must healthcare or schools report?
Not according to this six-authority rule. Healthcare and schools are not included in the list.
Can the Swedish Tax Agency provide my address and phone number?
Yes, if the conditions are met, the law includes address, phone number, email, and identity information that the authority already has.
Can the police read the entire mobile phone?
The authority is linked to identity investigations and is surrounded by requirements of necessity and connection to identity information. Request a written decision and appeal reference if your equipment is seized.
Sources
- Riksdagen: Strengthened return operations, report 2025/26:SfU32
- Riksdagen: decision on June 15, 2026
- Prop. 2025/26:263 Strengthened return operations
- Motverket: review of the duty to provide information, side information, and privacy risks
For those reading under stress
The guide is intended as support when you already have a lot on your mind. You do not need to read everything at once: start with the section that matches where you are today and return when the next step becomes relevant.
Matters with authorities rarely improve if you handle everything alone. Ask for help from a support person, lawyer, or relative if you can—especially before decisions with long-term effects.
Common mistakes that make the case more difficult
- Relying only on verbal promises without short written confirmation or follow-up emails.
- Waiting to request documents until the conflict is already locked—then it becomes harder to show what was said.
- Writing so long and emotionally that the authority stops responding to the substantive issue.
- Missing deadlines for reconsideration or appeal because the decision was not read verbatim.
Mini-checklist before you leave the guide
- Do I have the date, diary/case number, and name of the person handling the case (if known)?
- Do I know what the next step is: respond, request, remind, appeal, or report?
- Have I saved emails and attachments in a place where I can find them in a week?
