Maria Malmer Stenergard

Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy (2022–2024)

On 18 October 2022, Malmer Stenergard was appointed Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy in the cabinet of Ulf Kristersson. This role was seen as critical since migration was one of the key areas the new government was set to focus on.^[5]

In 2024, Malmer Stenergard announced that Sweden during that year had seen the lowest number of immigrants since 1997, and had for the first time in 50 years had more people migrating from Sweden than immigrating to Sweden. This was in line with the governments policy which she had implemented.^[6]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (2024–present)

On 10 September 2024, prime minister Ulf Kristersson reshuffled his cabinet. During this reshuffle Malmer Stenergard was made Minister for Foreign Affairs succeeding Tobias Billström who had recently resigned.^[7] During a press conference later the same day she said she would pursue a foreign policy that prioritised Sweden.^[8]

On 3 October 2024 during a debate in the Riksdag regarding Sweden's decision to abstain from voting on a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for the end of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, a bag containing tomatoes and onions was hurled towards Malmer Stenergard from the Riksdag's public gallery. Malmer Stenergard retreated from the chamber following the event. The bag's contents had been smuggled in through the security controls by three pro-Palestine activists, by means of hiding them in their clothes. The activists were quickly apprehended by security and removed from the perimeters of the Riksdag. Malmer Stenergard called the event an attack on basic democratic values, a sentiment echoed by Speaker Andreas Norlén.^[9][10]

She and her Nordic counterparts signed a joint letter in late October condemning Israel's planned bill that would seek to ban the UNRWA from operating in the country and in effect the Palestinian areas. Furthermore, they urged the Knesset to reconsider passing the bill.^[11]

Malmer Stenergaard called the March 2025 Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip "dangerous" and demanded an end to the violence.^[12]

List of international trips made by Maria Malmer Stenergard

Malmer Stenergard shakes hands with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a 20 June, 2025 meeting in Washington, D.C..

Malmer Stenergard accompanies the King and Queen of Sweden on official State Visit to Poland 10 March, 2026.

More information Country, Location(s) ...

Country	Location(s)	Dates	Source
Finland	Helsinki	13 September 2024	[13]
United States	New York: New York City (79th United Nations General Assembly)	22–27 September 2024	[14]
Canada	Iqaluit	28–29 September 2024	[15][16]
Luxembourg	Luxembourg	14 October 2024	[17]
Moldova	Chișinău	15 October 2024	[18]
Germany	Berlin	21 October 2024	[19]
Iceland	Reykjavík	28–31 October 2024	[20]
Singapore	Singapore	19–21 November 2024	[21]
Thailand	Bangkok	22 November 2024	[22]
Belgium	Brussels	3–4 December 2024	[23]
Malta	Valletta	5–6 December 2024	[24]
Turkey	Ankara	21 January 2025	[25]
Belgium	Brussels	27 January 2025	[26]
Colombia	Bogotá	28–29 January 2025	[27]
Peru	Lima	30–31 January 2025	[28]
Denmark	Copenhagen	5 February 2025	[29]
Latvia	Riga	7 February 2025	[30]
Germany	Munich	14–16 February 2025	[31]
Belgium	Brussels	24 February 2025	[32]
India	New Delhi	17–18 March 2025	[33]
Palestine	Ramallah	24–26 March 2025	[34][35]
Israel	Jerusalem
Belgium	Brussels	3–4 April 2025	[36]
Luxembourg	Luxembourg	14 April 2025	[37]
Denmark	Bornholm	28–29 April 2025	[38]
United Kingdom	London	1–2 May 2025	[39]
Denmark	Copenhagen	7 May 2025	[40]
Poland	Warsaw	7–8 May 2025	[41]
Turkey	Antalya	14–15 May 2025	[42]
Lithuania	Vilnius	2 June 2025	[43]
Belgium	Brussels	11 June 2025	[44]
United States	New York: New York City	18–19 June 2025	[45]
	Washington, D.C.	20 June 2025	[46][47]
Netherlands	The Hague	24–25 June 2025	[48]
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Sarajevo and Srebrenica	10–11 July 2025	[49]
Finland	Nuuksio	18–19 August 2025	[50]
Ukraine	Uzhhorod	5 September 2025	[51]
Germany	Berlin	16 September 2025	[52]
United States	New York: New York City (80th United Nations General Assembly)	21–26 September 2025	[53]
Zimbabwe	Victoria Falls	2–3 October 2025	[54]
Japan	Tokyo, Hiroshima	13–14 October 2025	[55]
South Korea	Seoul	15 October 2025	[56]
China	Beijing	16–17 October 2025	[57]
Poland	Warsaw	17 November 2025	[58]
Belgium	Brussels	20 November 2025	[59]
United Kingdom	London	27 November 2025	[60]
Belgium	Brussels	3 December 2025	[61]
	Brussels	15 December 2025	[62]
Jordan	Amman	16 December 2025	[63]
Eritrea	Asmara	17–18 December 2025	[64]
Latvia	Ādaži (NATO Enhanced Forward Presence)	28 January 2026	[65]
Belgium	Brussels	29 January 2026	[66]
Germany	Munich	12–15 February 2026	[67]
Belgium	Brussels	23 February 2026	[68]
Poland	Warsaw	4 March 2026	[69]
	Warsaw	10–12 March 2026	[70]
United States	Texas: Houston and Austin	16–18 March 2026	[71]
	Virginia: Norfolk	18–19 March 2026
Spain	Torrevieja	26 March 2026	[72]
Ukraine	Kyiv	31 March 2026	[73]
	Lviv	17 April 2026	[74]
Luxembourg	Luxembourg	21 April 2026	[75]
Estonia	Kuressaare	29–30 April 2026	[76]
Belgium	Brussels	11 May 2026	[77]
Cyprus	Limassol	27–28 May 2026	[78]
Hungary	Budapest	5 June 2026	[79]
Saudi Arabia	Riyadh	8–10 June 2026	[80]
Qatar	Doha
United Arab Emirates	Abu Dhabi
Luxembourg	Luxembourg	15 June 2026	[81]
Poland	Gdańsk	25 June 2026	[82]
	Gdynia	29 June 2026	[83]
Turkey	Ankara	7–8 July 2026	[84]
Brazil	Brasilia	5–7 August 2026	[85]
Colombia	Cali

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Foreign honours

• Iceland: Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon (6 May 2025)^[86]
• Ukraine: Member Third Class of the Order of Princess Olga (5 September 2025)^[87]