In brief
84‑year‑old Joyce Thomas, a British widow who has lived in Sweden for 22 years, now faces deportation after a mis‑understood post‑Brexit residence rule gone wrong. She told the BBC she cannot sleep or eat as the Swedish government demands her leave the country by 8 September. Her case highlights a broader purge of UK nationals who were ordered to leave Sweden since Brexit ended, with 458 deportations already recorded. Swedish officials say they will review the policy but have been slow to rein state. The story has sparked calls for increased empathy and review of the migration framework.
British Widow Faces Deportation From Sweden After 22 Years
Joyce Thomas, 78, is at risk of being forced out of the country she has called home for more than two decades. The Swedish authorities have told her she must leave by 8 September, following a late post‑Brexit residence application that was never filed.
A Policy Misunderstood
When the UK left the European Union on 31 January 2020, British citizens lost their automatic right of residence in Sweden. They could initially apply under a transitional agreement that expired on 31 December 2021. Thomas and her husband, who died three years ago, did not know that they needed to submit a formal application.
"I can't sleep, I can't eat. You get up in the morning, you don't know what's going to happen," Thomas said from her home in Sweden.
Government Response and Wider Context
Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell said the government would examine whether the rules could be applied more generously. He added that the framework was introduced by the previous administration and that there is a dialogue underway to explore possible relief.
Since Brexit, nearly 2,500 UK nationals have been ordered to leave Sweden—almost a third of the 7,500 who had been removed from the 27 EU member states in the same period. The Swedish Migration Agency stopped commenting on individual cases, but last week revealed 458 UK citizens had already been deported or forcibly removed.
Call for Compassion
Håkan Svenneling, the left‑wing MP representing Thomas’s district, condemned Sweden’s migration policy as “inhumane” and urged the upcoming elections to be a turning point that could bring a government that trusts British residents with strong ties to Sweden.
Joyce’s story has underlined the human side of migration law. “Where is the empathy?” she asked. “I've lived here for more than 20 years — I've got friends, I've got family.”
For more on the fallout of Brexit on UK nationals in Sweden, readers can follow the linked stories at BBC News and U.K. government releases.
