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The News International is reporting that the Swedish government has stated that it would consider requiring migrants to have a job and a place of residence before being allowed to bring family members to the northern European Union nation.
In a joint statement from Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and Migration Minister Tobias Billström, both said that the government had decided to solicit recommendations for a new legislative proposal.
"The requirement would mean that a person residing in Sweden must be able to show that he or she has a steady income and housing before his or her relatives are granted residency," the statement said.
"The aim is to strengthen our employment policy -- to allow integration policy to shift from a passive policy to one that focuses on active employment efforts -- and raise the prospect of integration," it added.
The new law would not be uncommon for European Union nations, and Sweden is known as a country with less stringent immigration rules. According to the government, it's the only country in the EU besides Belgium that did not require migrants to have the ability to financially support their relatives that they sponsor for immigration.
