On July 24, the US State Department reviewed its travel advisory for Sweden and its evaluation hasn’t changed: the country still faces “terrorism” concerns.
This definitely does not imply that the country is under attack. But it does mean that it remains a potential target for terrorist organizations.
In fact Sweden ranks at “Level 2: Exercise increased caution,” which means the country is safe to travel to, granted that recommended safety precautions are followed.
But how has the once extremely-peaceful Sweden made the list of potential targets?
According to Charlotte von Essen, Head of the Swedish Security Service, it’s a combination of opportunity and unfortunate publicity.
“The picture that has been painted of Sweden as an Islamophobic country has strongly contributed to the increased terrorist threat from violent Islamism. Sweden continues to be considered a prioritized target. The threat is posed by both lone actors and groups that can be directed by actors abroad,” said von Essen earlier this year.
The US government forecasts that such groups have capacity to attack with little or no warning venues visited by Americans like airports, hotels, nightclubs, places of worship, commercial centers, sporting events, educational institutions, and tourism landmarks, as well as government facilities.
“A high terrorist threat, together with the status in general, means that the security situation in Sweden is serious. It will likely remain this way for quite some time. The threats are complex; they overlap and thus grow stronger. The rapidly unfolding events are difficult to predict, but often have a direct impact on the threat to Sweden,” concluded von Essen.
As per the Swedish government, most threats come from Islamic extremism, right-wing extremism, and lone wolves with sentiments against the country’s status quo.
So far the international cooperation of Europol (short for European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation) has played an important role in keeping terrorists at bay.
Back in May 2024, the German police arrested two men identified as Ibrahim M.G., and Ramin N., both connected to IS Khorasan, an Islamic State terror group in Afghanistan, who were suspected of planning a terrorist attack on the Swedish parliament as retaliation for Quran burnings in Stockholm.
At the end of January, the country also launched a terrorism investigation due to an explosive object found at the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm.
Nonetheless, traveling to Sweden is still safe if you stay away from tourist crowds, be aware of your surroundings, monitor media outlets for the latest news in the country, and register in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to help locate you in case of need, reads the advisory.