SWEDISH COURT REFUSES TO DEPORT ERITREAN REFUGEE CONVICTED OF RAPE, CITES 1951 REFUGEE CONVENTION

A Swedish appellate court ruled that an Eritrean refugee convicted of raping a 16-year-old will not be deported after serving a three-year sentence. Citing case-specific assessment and protections under the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention, the court found the offense did not meet the threshold for “exceptionally serious” crimes warranting removal and that the defendant does not pose a current threat to public order. The decision has fueled debate in Europe over how deportation standards intersect with refugee protections.