Stricter rules on deportation for foreigners who commit crimes
Starting September 1st, it will be easier for foreigners in Sweden who have committed crimes to be deported. Committing a crime – in cases when the imposed penalty is more severe than a fine – was already generally grounds for deportation, so these rules will make it even easier.
It will do this in a number of ways, including: the court will no longer take into account obstacles to enforcement when considering whether deportation should take place; prosecutors will be obliged to request deportation when a foreigner is charged with a crime that is grounds for deportation; the restriction on deportation of foreigners who came to Sweden before the age of 15 will be abolished; re-entry bans have been extended and in more cases may be indefinite; and penalties have been increased for certain crimes under the Aliens Act.
Sweden tests new mobile emergency alert system
Sweden is set to test its new mobile emergency alert system, called SE-Alert, in Stockholm and Gotland on September 7th. The test will take place at 3pm alongside the quarterly outdoor emergency siren "Hesa Fredrik".
This means that if you are in the Stockholm area or Gotland, have an up-to-date smartphone which is switched on and connected to a mobile network, you will receive a pop-up text notification accompanied by a loud audio signal and vibration, even if you've got your phone on silent. It's just a test and you don't need to do anything – but it will be sent out to everyone, including children, the elderly and international tourists who just happen to be in the area at the time of the test, so it's worth informing friends and family members of the test in advance if you think they may otherwise get concerned or caught off guard by receiving the notification.
It will be sent out to everyone in the area regardless of whether you have a Swedish or international number, the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency – which is responsible for the test – confirmed to The Local.
You don't have to download an app to receive the notification, it will happen automatically. It's also worth knowing that if you're in Stockholm's neighbouring regions such as Uppsala, Södermanland or Västmanland, you may also receive the test alert (or you may not), because is because it's sent out using cell broadcast, so it depends on the signal range rather than exact administrative regional borders.
For this first test, the header may be in English. The message itself will be in Swedish followed by English.
SE-Alert will be tested nationwide in December.
Election Day
Advanced voting opens on August 26th, but September 13th is the official voting day when polling stations will be open around the country and many Swedes will go to cast their vote. Sweden holds its elections for the national parliament as well as regional councils and municipal councils on the same day. Remember that even if you're not a Swedish citizen, you may have the right to vote in the regional and local elections.
The result usually comes in at some point late in the evening. We'll of course be covering it live here on The Local.
Pay your residual tax
If you received your final tax statement (slutskattebesked) in June, you have to pay any residual tax by September 14th.
If your outstanding tax is under 100 kronor you don't need to pay it back until it reaches 100 kronor or over, and if you received your final tax declaration later than June, your deadline will also be later.
You can find out all the relevant details on the Tax Agency's tax repayment page.
New interest rate update
Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, is set to announce its next decision on the interest rate on September 24th. It is widely expected to raise the interest rate at some point before the end of the year (in fact, many experts had predicted a hike would come in August), the question is just when. Could this be the month? Maybe. Stay tuned. For now, anyway, the interest rate – also known as the policy rate – stands at 1.75 percent.
Crayfish season continues...
Unfortunately there are no public holidays in September (the next one isn't until Christmas), but that doesn't mean there's nothing to celebrate.
The crayfish season, which started at the beginning of August, will continue until the end of September, so be prepared to keep seeing crayfish-themed decorations in the supermarkets for a few weeks yet.
If you haven't already done so, why not find some friends (preferably with access to a summer house) to hold your very own kräftskiva (crayfish party)?
As with most Swedish celebrations, expect drinking songs, lots of snaps, crispbread, cheese, and most likely some sort of västerbottenpaj – a quiche featuring Sweden's favourite cheese, västerbottensost.
Here's our guide to six essential Swedish drinking songs for crayfish party season.
... and so does surströmming season
Surströmming is Swedish for "sour herring" and is fermented herring, plucked out of the Baltic Sea before they are stored for months to stew in their own bacteria through a carefully calibrated autolysis method which creates rather smelly acids, using just enough salt to prevent it from rotting. Delicious, some say. Others use words that common decency prevent me from writing on this news site.
The traditional "surströmming premiere" is held on the third Thursday in August, so the season is already under way, but don't worry, you'll still have plenty of opportunity in September to crack open your cans of surströmming. If the can has a slight bulge, don't worry, it's because the fermentation process continues even after the herring is canned.
Aurora Borealis season begins
With increased solar activity forecast, September marks the beginning of prime northern‑lights viewing in Lapland (northern Sweden). Expect vibrant displays – pink, green, purple streaks – against the dark sky.
Mushroom picking season peaks
While some enthusiasts have been picking chanterelles in parts of Sweden since July, September is the month that Sweden's mushroom picking hits its full swing. Read our beginner's guide to the mushrooms to pick here, and to the ones you should definitely leave behind here.