Key facts
- Sweden has confirmed 458 British citizens have been deported or forcibly removed since Brexit.
- The Swedish Migration Agency stated that 458 applications for residence status were accompanied by a deportation decision.
- Sweden's rejection rate for post-Brexit residency applications is three times higher than the EU average.
- Some individuals facing deportation had lived in Sweden for over 25 years or since childhood.
- The UK's Foreign Office is engaging with Swedish authorities on the matter.
Sweden has confirmed that 458 British citizens have been deported or forcibly removed by police since the UK's departure from the European Union. This marks the first time the scale of these deportations has been made public and comes amid criticism of a harsh approach towards Britons who established residency in Sweden before Brexit.
Some individuals have faced removal orders after residing in the country for over 25 years, with vulnerable people, including those with dementia and individuals who moved to Sweden as children, also affected. Susanna Fonsell, a legal expert at the Swedish Migration Agency, stated that deportation decisions accompanied rejected residency applications in approximately 400 cases, a figure later confirmed as 458 by the agency.
David Milstead, who leads the 'Brits in Sweden' group, emphasized the need for transparency regarding the circumstances of these removals. He questioned whether the figures include individuals who left voluntarily upon realizing their applications were unlikely to succeed or those who later obtained permits under national law. The group also noted that the data does not capture individuals currently on temporary permits with uncertain futures.
Recent data indicates that out of 14,233 applications for post-Brexit residency, nearly 4,000 were rejected. This refusal rate is reportedly three times higher than that of any other EU member state and significantly exceeds the EU average of 3% to 4%. Deportations are ongoing, with recent cases including a former business director detained for removal and a 34-year-old man who had lived in Sweden since he was 10 years old being deported, separating him from his wife.
Another case involves 78-year-old widow Joyce Thomas, who has been told to leave the country and faces a potential re-entry ban into Schengen countries if she fails to comply. Friends are seeking an injunction and have appealed to the European Commission for assistance. The Swedish Migration Agency maintains it has applied applicable law and that there were opportunities to appeal rejection decisions, asserting it has not interpreted the withdrawal agreement in an extreme manner.
Sweden's migration minister, Johan Forssell, acknowledged the importance of the UK relationship and stated the government is investigating whether further measures can be taken to facilitate the process in the future. The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office welcomed this statement and expressed readiness to support the review. However, opposition parties argue that the government needs to go further, with one spokesperson vowing to introduce new laws to allow British citizens to reapply for post-Brexit residence, emphasizing the need for "a touch of humanity."