A British man living in Sweden, Mark Smith, 60, is reportedly in hiding due to fears of deportation. Smith, who has experienced heart attacks, strokes, and chronic high blood pressure, was informed by phone that he should leave Sweden by 17 October as he was considered an "alien" without permission to stay.
Smith and his wife have moved from their home in Falkenberg to a caravan park. He stated, "We are in hiding, we daren’t go back to our apartment. We are scared to go out as we don’t know if the police will come and take us."
A court ruled on 12 October that a decision on deportation would not be suspended. However, Smith was given until 20 October to "submit his application for a retrial" regarding the grounds for the indefinite deportation decision.
Smith, who has been in Sweden since 2017, claims he was advised by authorities on three separate occasions after Brexit in 2020 that he did not need to take any action to remain. He stated he was unaware that Sweden was among 13 EU member states requiring Britons to make a formal application to stay after Brexit.
David Milstead, a British-Swedish volunteer citizens’ rights activist, said Smith's case is typical of many Britons in Sweden who received vague or unhelpful answers from authorities regarding their residence rights.