New Brussels Guidelines Suggest Granting Asylum to ISIS Affiliates in Sweden
31st January 2026
The European Union has issued new guidance affecting asylum decisions in Sweden and across the bloc, particularly concerning applicants with links to terrorist groups such as ISIS.
According to internal directives sent to staff at the Swedish Migration Agency in early January, individuals with affiliations to ISIS in Syria are now considered to potentially have a “well-founded fear of persecution.”
The guidelines, distributed to case officers in early January, mean that individuals with ISIS membership in Syria can potentially be granted asylum. To deny protection, the agency must prove involvement in war crimes, which is considered highly difficult.