So far this year, police in Sweden have detained at least 13 women—including several foreign nationals, some who were subsequently deported—allegedly because they are sex workers, according to a news report. However, selling sex is not a crime in Sweden.
The actual number of such cases may be higher, as they are difficult to track and the deportations can occur quickly.
Though police referenced other possible immigration-related reasons for some deportations, in some of the decisions to deport sex workers, the police stated that the women posed “a threat to public order” because “prostitution is an activity that promotes and gives rise to serious crime.”
Selling sex is not criminalized in Sweden, where only the purchase of sexual services or other third-party involvement is a crime. However, vague provisions in Swedish immigration law have been used to find selling sex a ground for deportation. In practice, the policing of commercial sex in Sweden “focuses on migrants, especially on people of colour,” according to the Centre for Women, Peace and Security, with police often treating sex workers like criminals.
In a recent report documenting sex workers’ experiences with police across Europe, several women said their work is heavily stigmatized and the police were unhelpful: “When I speak with police officers, I think that … they will put me in prison,” a sex worker in Sweden said. Another stated: “I’m so much more afraid of the police than I am of my clients.”
In a recent move to further restrict sex workers’ rights, Sweden is considering a bill to criminalize the purchase of sexual acts performed remotely, such as webcamming and erotic modeling. This would further marginalize women who rely on online work for safety and economic survival, pushing them into riskier conditions and threatening their rights to livelihood, privacy, and bodily autonomy.
Our research in countries like Greece, Tanzania, China, Colombia, and South Africa shows that criminalizing all aspects of sex work drives the industry underground, increases violence, and limits access to health, legal, and social services. It also hinders efforts to identify and support trafficking victims by silencing sex workers, who are often best positioned to report exploitation.
Sweden should stop detaining and deporting sex workers based on vague and unsubstantiated claims of “public order,” which violates international obligations under human rights law, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), possibly due process rights and EU citizens’ rights to free movement. Authorities should instead take steps to protect sex workers rights and uphold their security.