Forthcoming policy developments

A new Social Services Act

In July 2025 a new Social Services Act will replace the current Social Services Act. The purpose of the new law is to increase focus on knowledge-based intervention, prevention and improve compliance with the UN Convention of the Rights of a Child. A modernised Social Services Act has been discussed for many years and has broad political support. 

New measures against  organised crime

There have been several developments in criminal policy during the last years. One topic particularly connected to young people are organised crime and shootings. Over the past decade, shootings connected to organised crime and drug dealing where both perpetrators and victims are boys and young men have become more common in Sweden. Several new laws has been implemented in the last few years and there are several ongoing inquiries into new laws. For example a new law requires municipalities to actively work with crime prevention (SFS 2023:196). In the preparative work, universal prevention towards children and youth is regarded as part in the new responsibility. Working towards social inclusion can be regarded as such prevention (SOU 2021:49).

There is a current debate on increased penalty for young people under 18 years of age, both to protect young people from being used in organised crime and to protect the surrounding environment from young people who commit serious violent crimes. This has implications both on the rights of children who have committed crimes or are at risk of being used by criminal networks, as well as for children who are placed in special residential homes for young people. Currently, minors who have committed crimes are placed in special residential homes for young people, which also are used for young people who have been placed in the care of the state for other reasons. In 2023, the government commissioned the Swedish Prison and Probation Service to prepare special youth prisons for 15 to 17-year-olds to be established in 2026.

Ongoing debates

Challenges in social services 

During the past decade Sweden has seen an increase in the recruitment of minors into organized crime. As a result demand on social services interventions has increased to curb the recruitment of minors into organised crime. This has led to several new laws being proposed (see Forthcoming Policy Development). However, during the last years several challenges in social services has been discovered and debated. 

Two such issues regards home for care or residence (HVB) and special residential homes for young people. Young people can be placed in the care of the state,  home for care or residence or forster care for several reasons, such as addiction, mental health or social issues or criminality. A recent investigation by the Agency for Public Management (Statskontoret) found several deficiencies at these residential homes, such as sexual abuse and disproportionate use of confinement and restrictive measures. The agency concluded that lack of trained personnel contributed to  the deficiencies (Statskontoret, 2023). 

In 2024, a report from the Swedish Police concluded that several Homes for care or residence have connections to criminal networks. Young people placed in these homes may have a higher risk of recruitment into organised crime. Therefore, these findings has led to a debate on which measures to take to prevent infiltration of criminal networks into social services. One such measure is the governments intention of establishing youth prisons in 2026.