Sofiye, an asylum seeker from Uzbekistan who arrived in Sweden in 2008, now lives in fear of deportation after four failed refugee bids. For years, she worked and raised her children in Sweden; her youngest was born there. But three years ago, she lost her right to work and now stays in a return center near Stockholm’s Arlanda airport. She describes anxiety so severe she vomits and cannot sleep. Sweden’s government has tightened asylum rules, placing asylum seekers in return centers instead of homes, cutting work rights, and making citizenship harder to get. Thousands like Sofiye, who are well-established, face deportation. The government says it wants to focus on labor immigration, not asylum seekers. New rules punish criminal activity with deportations and require strict identity proof. In 2025, 440 people faced criminal deportation. Support workers say the policy breaks families and harms mental health. Thamer, an Iraqi who came on a work visa, faces deportation despite threats to his family back home. The government claims centers are safe, but many asylum seekers feel trapped and stressed, uncertain about their futures.