Reports: Desecration of the Qur’an will be deported from Sweden

The Iraqi origin wants to appeal the decision and not leave Sweden.

Media reports indicate that an Iraqi citizen responsible for burning several copies of the Holy Quran will be deported from Sweden. He will not be granted an extended residence permit, TV4 reported on Thursday, citing information from the immigration authority Migrationsverket. The authorities informed the broadcaster that he must be deported, but that he will be granted a temporary residence permit until mid-April 2024.

According to information, the authorities’ decision is related to preventing the man coming from Iraq from returning for a period of five years. He himself told the TT news agency and SVT radio station, among others, that he would appeal the decision and would not leave the country.

In recent months, copies of the Qur’an have been repeatedly burned or otherwise desecrated at public demonstrations in Sweden. Iraqis critical of Islam were responsible for most of these incidents. These actions also led to angry reactions among Muslims abroad, and Sweden caused severe diplomatic anger. The Swedish police investigated the man several times on charges of possible sedition.

The exact reason for the expulsion remained unclear as of Thursday. According to information from radio station SVT, authorities questioned the man in the summer about photos from Iraq in which he was said to be seen, among other things, carrying weapons in a military environment. The man immigrated to Sweden in April 2021 and at that time obtained a three-year residence permit. According to the authority’s spokesman, he provided false information about his need for protection when applying for a residence permit. (Abba)