Students strike for school caretaker facing deportation

Hundreds of students in Malmö walked out of school on Tuesday to support their caretaker, Mohammed Nour Oklah, who risks deportation from Sweden.

Students gathered outside Malmö City Hall with signs reading “Let Mohammed stay,” “Latin loves the caretaker” and “Eat, sleep, caretaker, repeat.” Teachers and other school staff joined them. Oklah was not present because he was traveling home by train after attending his first television awards ceremony.

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I started crying when I heard this. The caretaker is a very popular person, and now we are striking so he can stay.

The 29-year-old Malmö resident came to Sweden from Syria in 2014 and eventually found work as a school caretaker. In early 2026, he became widely known for playing the law-abiding police officer Malik in the Netflix series “Synden.” His performance earned him a nomination for leading male role at the Kristallen television awards. He walked the red carpet in Stockholm on Monday alongside Sweden’s entertainment celebrities.

Days after the nomination was announced, Oklah received a letter from the Migration Agency saying it had opened a case to revoke his status declaration. He said he had previously held temporary residence permits that were extended. He has been summoned to the agency on Thursday for an oral investigation.

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It has been extremely stressful weeks.

His lawyer, Anna Lööv Schöning, said many Syrians with temporary residence permits are currently receiving similar letters. She said officials typically explain that the security situation in Syria has improved and then examine whether the person still needs protection.

Oklah said he fled Syria after facing the prospect of military service under Bashar al-Assad’s government. He left when he was 16. His father died during the war, and the rest of his family lives in Egypt. “I have nothing there,” he said. In Sweden, he trained as a power engineer but has worked at Malmö Latin School for several years, where he says he is happy.

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I was 16 when I left Syria. My father died during the war and the rest of my family lives in Egypt. I have nothing there.