A 34-year-old British man, John Sellers, who has lived in Sweden since he was 10, has been deported in a continuation of Brexit-related complications for UK citizens residing in the country.
Sellers moved to Sweden with his family under EU free movement rights. Despite living there for 24 years and recently marrying his Swedish partner, Caroline, he has been ordered to leave.
Describing his nearly seven-year struggle to remain in Sweden, Sellers stated, “It is time people know how people are being treated here, and it is time to show what Brexit has caused.” He expressed awareness that immigration rules differ from country to country but emphasized that Brexit led to his deportation.
His parents chose Sweden for its favorable education system, seeing it as a good place to raise children. Unfortunately, his father passed away when he was 16, and after he began college to become a teacher, his mother returned to England.
After three unsuccessful applications to stay in the country, Sellers was deported in January and continues to seek the right to return to Gothenburg, hoping to start a family with Caroline.
Sellers remarked, “Whenever I come to England, I feel like a tourist. Sweden is my home.” He conveyed the emotional pain of separation, stating, “I’ve been ripped from the love of my life, my other half… The pain is… I wish people wouldn’t have to go through this kind of pain, because you’re not whole. You’re broken.”
The struggle has had financial repercussions for Sellers, who is burdened by the cost of contesting his deportation and the inability to work. Meanwhile, Caroline faces her health challenges, including fibromyalgia and long Covid, which add to the stress of their situation.
Caroline expressed the difficulty of fighting governmental processes to maintain their relationship, noting the exhaustion that comes from needing to balance her health issues while advocating for their future together. She said, “It’s just horrible… we just want to spend our lives together, and it’s so hard having to fight for that, especially when I am not well to begin with.”
Sweden’s Migration Minister, Johan Forssell, is facing pressure from MP Håkan Svenneling to review the treatment of British residents in Sweden following Brexit. Svenneling’s call gained momentum after Joyce Thomas, a 78-year-old widow, was told she must leave Sweden after living there for 21 years.
With a looming deadline for Thomas to depart by September 7, supporters have urged Forssell to halt removals and reconsider policies they claim contradict the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
Another British citizen, George Mason, in dementia care, has received a temporary reprieve from deportation until September 28 as authorities assess hurdles to enforcement.
The UK Foreign Office has repeatedly expressed concerns about Sweden’s strategy toward late applications from British nationals. Eurostat data indicates that Sweden has the highest number of Brexit-related deportations among EU member states, with around 2,500 British nationals ordered to leave since Brexit—accounting for one-third of total removal orders across the EU.
The Migration Agency has come under scrutiny for its refusal to accept late applications from individuals unaware of the need to formally apply to remain post-Brexit, a practice not adopted widely across EU nations.
Sellers was cognizant that Brexit could impact his residency rights. Without any communication from Swedish authorities, he sought to apply for Swedish citizenship in September 2021, prior to the Brexit deadline. His application was denied, as were two subsequent residency requests based on family rights.
The latest ruling against Sellers’ appeal cited insufficient evidence of a shared life with Caroline at the time of application. Currently, the couple is regrouping and appealing for a fresh review of their case.
