Proposed limits on the right to publicly funded interpreters criticised by police, lawyers

The government and the Sweden Democrats want to limit the right to publicly financed interpreters according to the Tidö Agreement, but there's concern within the justice system regarding how it would impact their work.

The agreement says the right to publicly funded interpreters will be restricted for people with residence permits and Swedish citizenship. The premise is that they should pay for an interpreter themselves if one is needed.

Katarina von Sydow, chair of the Swedish Police Union, says it's crucial for police to be able to understand what a witness or a member of the public tells them.