Joyce Thomas, a 78-year-old British widow, faces deportation from Sweden after 21 years in the country, having lost her appeal against a post-Brexit ruling. She told the Guardian she feels 'sick' and has done 'nothing wrong'.
Appeal lost against migration agency
Thomas had taken the Swedish Migration Agency to court after it rejected her application under the country's post-Brexit settlement scheme for British nationals. Her application was submitted two years after the deadline.
In her appeal, Thomas argued that insufficient information was provided about the deadline, which she only learned of from a Swedish border guard during a return trip to the UK in 2023. Her husband died of cancer four months later.
Legal arguments and court ruling
Her lawyers argued that deportation was 'not proportionate' solely because she missed a deadline due to insufficient information, and that Swedish authorities failed to inform her of the need to file an application and the deadline. However, the court upheld the migration agency's decision.
Under Article 18 of the EU-UK withdrawal agreement, late applications can be accepted if there are 'reasonable grounds'.
Impending deportation and consequences
Thomas now awaits a letter giving her 14 days to leave Sweden. If she fails to comply, she could be forcibly deported, face a re-entry ban, and be barred from entering any Schengen country.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We regularly raise concerns regarding Sweden’s protection of citizens’ rights under the Withdrawal Agreement with both the Swedish authorities and the European Commission, which is responsible for monitoring the implementation and application of citizens’ rights matters in EU Member States."
