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British Widow Facing Deportation from Sweden Describes Ordeal

A 78-year-old British widow, Joyce Thomas, who has lived in Sweden for 22 years, is facing deportation after her application to remain in the country following Brexit missed the official deadline.

  • Joyce Thomas, a retired nurse, was given four weeks in August to leave Sweden, separating her from her family and her late husband's grave.
  • Her application to stay in Sweden in 2023 missed the official deadline, though she states her husband had been previously informed no action was needed after Brexit.
  • The Swedish migration agency upheld its decision that not knowing about the application deadline was not a "reasonable ground" for her to stay.

Joyce Thomas, a 78-year-old British widow, has described her situation as a "death sentence" as she faces deportation from Sweden. Ms Thomas, a retired nurse, has resided in Sweden for 22 years.

She was given four weeks in August to leave the country, a decision that would separate her from her son, grandchildren, friends, church, and her husband's grave. Her husband, Gwynne, passed away in 2023.

Ms Thomas's application to remain in Sweden in 2023 was submitted after the official deadline. She stated that her husband, who managed household administration, had previously been told that the couple did not need to take any action after Brexit.

The administrative court in Luleå upheld the Swedish migration agency's decision that she could not stay, with the agency stating that not knowing about the application deadline at the end of 2021 was not a "reasonable ground" for remaining in the country.

Late on Monday, Ms Thomas was advised that she could stay pending a late application by a lawyer for a review of the removal order. However, the threat of deportation remains in abeyance.

Ms Thomas is among potentially hundreds or thousands of Britons who have been told to leave or have been forcibly removed from Sweden since Brexit. The migration agency confirmed last week that 458 individuals have been deported.

Why this matters: The situation highlights the challenges faced by some British citizens living in EU countries following Brexit, particularly concerning residency applications and differing national interpretations of the withdrawal agreement.

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