Sweden has deported 2,490 Britons between 2020 and 2025, out of an estimated 14,000 in the country. This figure accounts for 33% of all British nationals deported from the EU between 2021 and 2025.
In comparison, France deported 450 Britons (6%), Spain 250 (3%), and Germany 160 (2%) in the same period. The Netherlands also saw 2,270 Britons deported.
Cases include Charles, a former business director from Cambridge, who moved to Sweden in 2017 and applied to remain after Brexit before the December 2021 deadline. His application was rejected, and he is currently in a detention centre awaiting potential deportation.
Other individuals served with removal orders include Joyce Thomas, 78, who has lived in Sweden for 22 years, and George Mason, 74, who has dementia and has been in Sweden for 25 years. Both missed the post-Brexit application deadline.
The European Commission stated that while correct implementation of the withdrawal agreement is important, it does not define reasonable grounds that may justify a late application for beneficiary status. This means host states have a degree of discretion in deciding what they accept as reasonable grounds.
Following increased publicity surrounding these deportations, all three opposition parties in Sweden have pledged new laws to reopen the application process for British citizens. The incumbent government has also stated it would consider doing the same.