Key facts
- Sweden is responsible for 33% of all British nationals deported from the EU between 2021 and 2025.
- A total of 2,490 Britons have been deported from Sweden between 2020 and 2025.
- Charles, a British business director who moved to Sweden in 2017, is awaiting deportation after his residency application was rejected.
- George Mason, 74, and Joyce Thomas, 78, are among long-term residents facing removal orders after missing post-Brexit application deadlines.
- Swedish author Martin Gelin described the migration department's calls as 'absurd, hardline'.
- The Swedish Migration Agency insists it has only deported 458 British people in strict Brexit-related cases.
Sweden is facing increasing scrutiny over its handling of post-Brexit migration cases, with a significant number of British nationals being deported despite having lived in the country for years and having ties to Swedish citizens. Charles, a former business director who moved to Sweden in 2017, is currently in a detention center awaiting deportation, describing the conditions as harsh and questioning the country's progressive image.
His wife, Lily, a lawyer, has been fighting his case and expressed dismay at Sweden's approach, comparing it unfavorably to other nations. Charles's situation highlights a broader trend, with Sweden accounting for 33% of all British nationals deported from the EU between 2021 and 2025, far exceeding other member states like France, Spain, and Germany. Data suggests over 2,100 removal orders were issued in Sweden during this period.
Other cases include Joyce Thomas, a 78-year-old widow who has lived in Sweden for 22 years, and George Mason, a 74-year-old with dementia who has resided there for 25 years. Both missed the deadline to apply for residency under the Brexit withdrawal agreement. John Sellers, 34, who has lived in Sweden since childhood, was deported in January.
These deportations raise questions about whether national migration policies have influenced the application of the withdrawal agreement, potentially watering down protections promised by Brexit negotiators like Michel Barnier. Swedish author Martin Gelin has described the migration agency's decisions as 'absurd' and 'hardline'.
While the withdrawal agreement grants unique protections to British citizens who lived in Sweden before Brexit, activists note they appear to be treated similarly to other foreign nationals. James Savage, editor of The Local, suggested that national migration policy and the culture within the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) and courts might be affecting how the agreement is applied.
Despite promises made by opposition parties to reopen applications, and the incumbent government considering similar measures, the Swedish Migration Agency maintains it has applied the law correctly and has not interpreted the withdrawal agreement in an extreme manner. The agency states it has only deported 458 Britons in strict Brexit-related cases, though activists believe this figure may not include those who applied under different routes after initial rejection.
The European Commission has acknowledged that member states have discretion in defining 'reasonable grounds' for late applications, implying Sweden is exercising allowable discretion rather than breaching the agreement. Professor Catherine Barnard of Cambridge University noted that the withdrawal agreement is unique and its application will take time to be tested, emphasizing that migration authorities' decisions must be proportionate, balancing the state's interest in immigration with individuals' rights to family life.