British Widow Faces Deportation From Sweden After 22 Years Living There

Wed Sep 09 2026 09:23:35 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A 78‑year‑old British widow is threatened with deportation from Sweden after failing to formalise her residence post‑Brexit.

Joyce Thomas, a retired nurse who has lived in Sweden for 22 years, says she is suffering sleepless nights and loss of appetite amid a threat of deportation. The Swedish migration authorities claim she should have applied for residency under the UK‑EU withdrawal agreement, which expired at the end of 2021, but only made her aware of this rule when she tried to re‑enter Sweden in 2023. After numerous rejec tions of her appeals, her voluntary‑departure deadline has been set to 8 September. Her case has sparked criticism of Sweden’s migration policy and prompted calls from her MP and the UK foreign office for a review of the rules that affect long‑term British residents.

Joyce Thomas, a 78‑year‑old retired nurse, has told the BBC she is struggling to sleep or eat as the Swedish government threatens to deport her over a late post‑Brexit residence application.

She moved to Sweden 22 years ago with her husband, who passed away from cancer three years ago, and never applied for formal residence status after the UK left the EU.

The Swedish authorities say she should have made a formal application under the withdrawal agreement, which ended on 31 December 2021, but she was only informed of the rule when attempting to re‑enter the country in 2023.

After years of appeals rejected, the Migrationsverket told her last month that her voluntary departure deadline was 8 September.

She described the situation as “absolute hell” in a BBC interview, saying she can’t sleep, can’t eat, and faces uncertainty each morning.

The Swedish migration minister said the government would examine whether measures can ease the process for those affected by the EU‑UK withdrawal agreement, but did not address Joyce’s case directly.

Between 2021 and 2025, Eurostat recorded that 2,490 UK nationals were ordered to leave Sweden, a third of the 7,500 ordered to leave the 27 EU Member States over that period; 458 British citizens were deported or forcibly removed.

Håkan Svenneling, Joyce’s MP from the opposition Left Party, criticised the government’s “inhumane migration policy” and urged that the upcoming election be a turning point to allow British residents with strong ties to stay.

A UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson welcomed Sweden’s statement and offered support to help the country review the rules.