Key facts
- A 65-year-old British man, identified as Charles, has been deported from Sweden to the UK.
- He had resided in Sweden for nearly nine years and was separated from his Swedish wife.
- His deportation followed a rejected residency application under the Aliens Act.
- Charles was detained for two weeks prior to his flight.
- Sweden has deported 458 British citizens who lived there before Brexit.
- Jane Golding, chair of British in Europe, questioned Sweden's implementation of the withdrawal agreement.
A 65-year-old British man, identified as Charles, has been deported from Sweden to the UK, leaving him feeling homeless and separated from his Swedish wife and home. Charles, who had lived in Sweden for nearly nine years, was detained for two weeks before being marched onto a plane on Tuesday. His deportation follows a rejected residency application, despite having lived in Sweden lawfully before Brexit and attempting to integrate into society.
Charles expressed his distress, stating he has "nothing" in the UK and feels treated like a "criminal" despite contributing to Swedish society. He arrived at Heathrow airport with only a small holdall and a reusable shopping bag containing meagre belongings from his time in a detention centre. His plight highlights ongoing deportations of British citizens from Sweden who had residency applications rejected after Brexit.
Stockholm has reportedly deported 458 British people who lived in Sweden before Brexit, a higher proportion relative to its population than any EU member state. This situation persists despite promises from opposition parties to introduce laws for a second chance at residency applications. Jane Golding, chair of British in Europe, raised concerns about Sweden's adherence to the spirit of the withdrawal agreement, noting the lack of a dedicated independent monitoring authority in EU member states for such cases, unlike in the UK.