Background & Purpose
To strengthen legal security and protect individuals in sensitive legal matters, the government proposed raising the professional standards for legal representatives and interpreters.
The Decision
The Swedish parliament voted to approve the government's legislative proposal, introducing stricter qualification rules for public counsels and interpreters starting in early 2026.
Does this affect you?
- Public counsels and lawyers: Must meet strict new educational requirements, including a mandatory law degree, to practice in migration cases.
- Interpreters in migration cases: Must meet new professional competence standards, with authorities required to hire certified interpreters when possible.
- Asylum seekers and individuals in migration cases: Receive stronger legal protection and higher-quality support through more competent legal representatives and qualified interpreters.
In Practice
- Public counsels must now hold a formal law degree.
- Lawyers and legal counsels need special permission to hand over their assignments to someone else.
- Individuals deemed unsuitable can be barred from acting as legal representatives before migration and security authorities.
- Authorities must, whenever possible, use certified interpreters and translators.