Key facts
- John Sellers, a British citizen who moved to Sweden at age 10, has been deported after living there for 24 years.
- His deportation is attributed to post-Brexit immigration policies in Sweden.
- Sellers had been educated in Sweden and recently married a Swedish national.
- Sweden has issued the highest number of Brexit-related deportation orders against Britons in the EU.
- The Swedish Migration Agency's handling of late applications is a key issue.
- Sellers and his wife are appealing the decision with new evidence.
A 34-year-old British man, John Sellers, has been deported from Sweden after residing there for 24 years, a situation described as a 'Brexit-induced catastrophe' for UK citizens in the country. Sellers moved to Sweden with his parents at the age of 10 and has been educated and recently married to a Swedish partner, Caroline.
Sellers described his struggle to remain in Sweden for nearly seven years, stating that such issues would not have arisen without Brexit. His father died when he was 16, and his mother later returned to England. Despite his deep ties to Sweden, which he considers his home, he was deported in January following three failed attempts to secure residency.
Caroline Sellers highlighted the immense stress and financial burden of fighting the government to maintain their relationship, especially given her chronic health conditions. She expressed a desire for politicians to see how Sweden's implementation of Brexit is negatively impacting families.
Sweden has seen the highest number of Brexit-related deportations of Britons within the EU, accounting for one-third of all removal orders issued across the bloc since 2021. The core of the problem appears to be the Swedish Migration Agency's refusal to accept late applications from individuals who were unaware of the need to formally apply for residency post-Brexit, a process not widely used in other EU countries.
Swedish MP Håkan Svenneling has called for a review of the country's approach to British residents, prompted by Sellers' case and that of another constituent, 78-year-old widow Joyce Thomas, who also faces deportation. Another elderly British citizen, George Mason, has received a temporary reprieve. Activists like David Milstead of the Brits in Sweden group point to a lack of communication from authorities as a cause for missed application deadlines, calling Sellers' case an example of systemic failings in Sweden's implementation of the withdrawal agreement.
Sellers' attempts to regularize his status included applying for Swedish citizenship in September 2021, which was rejected. Subsequent appeals based on his relationship with Caroline were also denied, with migration courts citing insufficient evidence of a durable relationship. The couple is now appealing the judgment with new evidence.