British Man Deported from Sweden Highlights Post-Brexit Immigration Tensions

John Sellers, a 34-year-old who moved to Sweden at age 10, was deported earlier this year after three unsuccessful attempts to regularise his stay. Having lived in Gothenburg for 24 years, earned a teaching qualification and married Swedish partner Caroline, he now fights to return to his home and family.

The Guardian

When the United Kingdom left the EU, Swedish authorities required British residents to submit a formal post-Brexit residence application. The Migration Agency has largely refused late filings, a procedure employed by only 12 other EU states. Eurostat data show Sweden has issued the highest number of Brexit-related removal orders—about 2,500 British nationals, representing roughly one-third of all EU-wide orders since 2021.

The Guardian

Swedish migration minister Johan Forssell indicated he will address MP Håkan Svenneling’s request for a review after cases such as 78-year-old Joyce Thomas, who must leave by 7 September, and George Mason, whose departure is stayed until 28 September. The UK Foreign Office has repeatedly voiced concern over Sweden’s handling of late applications, while senior officials at the European Commission are monitoring the situation. Activist David Milstead of the Brits in Sweden group described the case as “systemic failings” in Sweden’s implementation of the withdrawal agreement and called for swift remedial action.

The Guardian

• Approximately 2,500 British nationals have been ordered to leave Sweden since Brexit.

The Guardian

• This figure accounts for about one-third of all EU removal orders for UK citizens.

The Guardian

• Only 12 other EU member states use a comparable late-application refusal process.

The Guardian

• Sellers applied for Swedish citizenship in September 2021, before the Brexit deadline of 31 December 2021, but was denied; subsequent family-right applications were also rejected.

The Guardian

• “Whenever I come to England, I feel like a tourist. Sweden is my home,” — John Sellers

The Guardian