British Widow Faces Deportation from Sweden After 22 Years of Residence

Joyce Thomas, a 78-year-old British widow, is facing deportation from Sweden after 22 years of living in the country. Thomas, who is a retired nurse, moved to Sweden with her husband, who passed away from cancer three years ago. The Swedish government has threatened her with deportation due to a late application for residence status following Brexit. Thomas has had multiple applications and appeals rejected, with a deadline for voluntary departure set for September 8. She expressed distress over the situation, stating, "This is absolute hell. I can't sleep, I can't eat. You get up in the morning, you don't know what's going to happen." The Swedish migration minister indicated that the government would consider measures to ease the process for those affected by the EU-UK withdrawal agreement. Following Brexit on January 31, 2020, British citizens lost their EU citizenship, which affected their right to reside in Sweden. Thomas was unaware of the need to submit a residence application until she attempted to re-enter Sweden in 2023. The Migrationsverket, Sweden's migration agency, reported that 458 British citizens have been deported or forcibly removed since Brexit. Johan Forssell, the Swedish Minister for Migration, stated that the current framework was established by a previous government and that they would examine potential measures to assist affected individuals. Håkan Svenneling, Thomas's MP, criticized the government's migration policy and expressed hope for a change following the upcoming election. A spokesperson from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office welcomed the Swedish authorities' commitment to review the issue.