Joyce Thomas, a retired nurse from Britain, has been ordered to leave Sweden by the Swedish migration authorities after residing in the country for more than two decades. The deportation threat stems from her failure to submit a formal residence application following the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union.
When the UK withdrew from the EU in January 2020, British citizens lost their EU citizen status and could no longer maintain right of residence in Sweden under previous agreements. A transitional period allowed British nationals to apply for formal residence status until the end of 2021, but Thomas and her husband were unaware of this requirement at the time. She only discovered the obligation when attempting to re-enter the country in 2023. Her husband, with whom she had moved to Sweden 22 years prior, died from cancer three years ago.
Thomas has submitted numerous applications and appeals, all of which have been rejected. The Swedish migration agency, Migrationsverket, set her voluntary departure deadline for this week. She has described the situation as deeply distressing, reporting difficulty sleeping and eating while contemplating separation from her son, grandchildren, and her husband’s grave.
According to Eurostat data, Sweden has ordered approximately 2,490 UK nationals to leave between 2021 and 2025, representing nearly a third of deportation orders issued across all 27 EU member states during this period. Migrationsverket confirmed that 458 British citizens have been deported or forcibly removed since Brexit, though the agency declined to specify how many additional British nationals currently face similar deportation proceedings.
Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell stated the government would examine potential measures to ease the process for affected individuals, emphasizing that rules should be applied generously and that the UK remains an important partner. Opposition lawmakers have criticized the current migration framework as inhumane. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office indicated readiness to assist Swedish authorities in addressing the issue.
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