Stricter security checks will be conducted on dual citizens or people with links to foreign countries who apply for sensitive jobs, the head of the Swedish Security Service announced Tuesday.
Last year, Säpo, the Swedish Security Service, called for a government inquiry to clarify that security assessments consider foreign citizenship or other links to foreign countries.
The government is now setting up an inquiry into the issue to see if it could be done by amending the Security Protection Ordinance, the legal framework that sets out regulations and guidelines for the protection of classified information and sensitive facilities in Sweden
“We can see that the threat from foreign powers in Sweden is high and that authoritarian states such as Russia, China and Iran are acting increasingly offensively,” Charlotte von Essen, the head of the Swedish Security Service, said at a press conference.
“We welcome this investigation. I think it is important to analyse and consider the different options,” she added.
Säpo’s proposal, which has been put out for consultation, has received both praise and criticism from Swedish commentators. But according to Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer, the aim is to strengthen Sweden’s security and the legal security of individuals.
“There is both a strong security interest and a strong rule of law interest. The inquiry will, of course, be tasked with meeting both these interests,” he said.
Dual citizenship is already a factor that is taken into account, but guidelines need to be clearer, emphasised Strömmer.
“On the one hand, it must be made clear that citizenship is a factor that is already highlighted as a risk factor. Now we want to clarify the guidelines for that,” he said.
The inquiry, to be reported by August next year, will consider, among other things, what information should be included in the basis for a security clearance.
It will also consider whether it should be possible to appeal against a security clearance decision, which is not currently possible.
The Swedish government also wants to look at how civil servants who are no longer approved for security clearance can be suspended from their posts.
(Charles Szumski | EURACTIV.com)
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