Sweden's migration minister has defended the country's removal of British citizens who applied late for permission to stay after Brexit, asserting that the European Commission supports its approach. The defence follows criticism over cases such as that of Joyce Thomas, a 78-year-old British widow ordered to leave after 21 years in the country.
Minister's response to MP's question
Johan Forssell, the migration minister, issued the robust defence on Wednesday in a written answer to a question from Häkan Svenneling, a Left party MP, about Thomas's case. Forssell said the migration board had followed up on the application of the withdrawal agreement and assessed that Sweden had fulfilled its commitments, a view shared by the commission.
Thomas is among several British citizens facing removal orders after the migration agency rejected their late applications to stay. Sweden was one of 13 EU countries requiring formal applications for British citizens to remain post-Brexit, a requirement many were unaware of.
Criticism and calls for change
Svenneling told the Guardian: "It seems to me that the Swedish government thinks everything is fine even though British citizens are being deported from Sweden right now. Not acting is also an action in this situation. What Sweden needs is a new government and a new migration minister who stops deporting people with strong connections to Sweden."
In his answer, Forssell offered some hope, stating: "The relationship with the UK is very important to Sweden and the government will continue to safeguard the correct implementation of the withdrawal agreement. As part of this, the government is investigating whether further measures can be taken to facilitate the process in the future."
Broader context and impact
Thomas has been told to leave Sweden by Tuesday 8 September or face deportation and a potential ban from the Schengen area. She moved to Sweden with her late husband to be close to their son and grandchildren, and said she was left feeling sick with worry after receiving the removal order.
David Milstead, who runs the grassroots organisation Brits in Sweden, said the government's response was not a surprise. He noted that under the withdrawal agreement, the UK set up the Independent Monitoring Authority (IMA) to ensure the Home Office implemented the deal correctly, while the European Commission performed the corresponding role for EU member states. "The IMA has taken a much more robust approach. It is hard to imagine it not challenging the UK had it operated a policy like Sweden's, which would have put the rights of around a quarter of a million successful late applicants [in the UK] at risk," he said.
According to Eurostat data, between 2021 and 2025 a total of 2,490 UK nationals were ordered to leave Sweden, which the Foreign Office found was 32.9% of the 7,565 UK nationals ordered to leave the 27 EU member states over this period. The European Commission has been approached for comment.
