Swedish Opposition MP Challenges Deportations of Elderly Britons as Bilateral Tensions Rise
Migration Minister Johan Forssell faces pressure over cases involving long-term residents, including a 78-year-old widow and a man with dementia, after the UK Foreign Office criticised Sweden’s approach as stricter than other EU states.
Swedish opposition MP Håkan Svenneling has formally challenged the Swedish government’s decision to deport elderly British citizens, arguing that the strict enforcement of Brexit residency rules is causing significant damage to bilateral relations with the United Kingdom. In a letter to Migration Minister Johan Forssell, Svenneling, who represents the Värmland constituency, asked what measures the minister intends to take to halt the removal of individuals who have lived in Sweden for decades.
The intervention centres on the case of Joyce Thomas, a 78-year-old retired nurse who has been given four weeks to leave after 21 years of residency. Thomas, who moved to Sweden at age 57 to be closer to her son and grandchildren, missed the 31 December 2021 deadline for Brexit applications after being told by acquaintances that no forms were required. Her husband, who handled household administration, died of cancer in 2023, leaving Thomas facing removal despite her self-sufficiency and lack of reliance on state benefits.
Svenneling also highlighted the case of Horace Mason, a 74-year-old man with dementia and Parkinson’s disease who is in full-time care. Mason was similarly ordered to leave, and although his family argued for his right to remain under the European Convention on Human Rights to stay near his family, the migration court of appeal ruled that the state’s interest in regulated immigration outweighed his personal circumstances.
The UK Foreign Office has raised concerns with the European Commission, stating that Sweden is adopting a considerably stricter approach to late applications than any other EU member state. David Milstead, head of the campaign group Brits in Sweden, noted that among 9,000 members, the group could not verify a single case where Sweden accepted reasons for applying late, suggesting that Sweden’s broader restrictionist migration policy may be influencing decisions under the EU-UK withdrawal agreement.
In response to the growing controversy, the Swedish migration agency maintained that ignorance of application requirements does not constitute reasonable grounds for exemption. The agency stated it was unable to discuss individual cases but affirmed that not knowing a Brexit application was required was not a valid basis for remaining in the country, despite the diplomatic friction and political pressure mounting on the centre-right minority coalition.
