Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson has made statements on deportation and LGBT adoption that contradict the hard line his party is known for on these issues, prompting strong reactions from followers and fellow right-wingers.

"No one who has lived in Sweden will be forced to return to their home country, we have no policy for that," Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson has explained in Svenska Dagbladet's children's edition SvD Junior, when asked whether it was fair to believe that asylum immigrants should return home when they no longer need shelter in Sweden.

In another divisive issue, the 39-year-old leader of Sweden's largest right-wing party was asked why he doesn't believe that "two people of the same gender" should be adopting kids.

"In fact, we really do believe this now. We didn't believe it before, but we have become a big party today, and a lot of people have come from all parts of society," Åkesson explained, while stressing that the party may soon re-write its program to include support for LGBT adoptions."

The Alternative for Sweden (AfS), a new party founded by maverick Sweden Democrats who believe their mother party wasn't radical enough, slammed the SD for "once again betraying their voters" by making a U-turn on deportations and LGBT adoption. Read more via Sputnik