Hi! I would like to start by saying thank you for sending your question to us at Juridk till alla. The answer to your question can be found under the following headlines.

Gaining a permanent residence permit

As you have described in your question, you had fulfilled the requirements to receive a temporary residence permit based on alternative protection. As of now, you have fulfilled the requirements necessary for the Migration Board to change your status of your residence from temporary to permanent.

The Migration Board can decide not to issue a new residence permit, or not to extend an already existing residence permit, in certain situations. Those circumstances are regulated in Utlänningslagen (The Law Regarding Foreigners), chapter 5 §§ 17 & 17a. These circumstances have the primary focus regulating the impact of certain unwanted behavior in terms of the decision process of gaining an residence permit. The specific circumstances include if the applicant has committed a crime, if the applicant has tried to deceive Swedish Authorities (for example by lying regarding facts that amount to reasons for granting a certain residence permit) or if the applicant is deemed a threat to public order or national security.

The law does not specify a standing debt, or a debt payed in full, to the Kronofogden as a ground for denying the applicant a residence permit. However, a debt to the Kronofogden, which might have originated from a criminal offence, might be considered when the decision is made. Nevertheless, from what you describe your previous debt was not a consequence of criminal activity. As such, this debt should not impact the Migration Boards decision of granting you a permanent residence permit.

I hope my answer was helpful! If you have any other questions you would like to ask, you can always send them to us at Fråga Juristen.

Kind regards,
Gabriel Axelsson