British Man Facing Sweden Deportation as Wife Begs Andy Burnham to Intervene

A British man facing deportation from Sweden is hoping for a lifeline as his wife urges UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to intervene, saying their family is being torn apart despite an ongoing legal appeal.

The man, identified only as Charles, was detained in Stockholm after being summoned to a police station with his Swedish wife, Lily, on 1 September. Lily told The Guardian that Charles was told he would be taken to a detention centre and deported within two weeks.

His wife, a lawyer, said she was shocked because the couple's legal challenge against the deportation order was still before the courts.

'How Many Families Have To Suffer?'

According to the report, Charles has lived in Sweden since 2017 after moving there to join Lily, whom he met while she was studying law in London. The couple married and built their life in Sweden, where Lily now works for the local authority in Stockholm.

Charles, a retired former business consultant, applied for residency before the post-Brexit deadline. His application was rejected in 2022, and the couple have since fought the decision through what Lily described as six or seven appeals.

She said the family was unexpectedly summoned to a police station at 10am on 1 September. They were not told that Charles could be detained or deported, she said.

After several hours, police told Lily that Charles would be taken to a detention centre. She was also asked to bring his passport despite telling officers that a court process was still under way.

Lily has now appealed directly to Burnham, asking him to raise the case with the Swedish government.

'What Kind of Country Are We Living In?'

Speaking about her husband's detention, Lily said she felt ashamed and questioned how a British citizen could be held while trying to remain with his Swedish wife in the home they share.

She also urged the UK government to put pressure on Sweden, saying British families had been forced to sell homes and leave their lives behind.

Charles' case comes amid wider concerns over how Sweden has implemented the post-Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, which was intended to protect the rights of British citizens already living in EU countries before Brexit.

The Wider Deportation Controversy

Charles is the latest British resident to face removal from Sweden. Among other recent cases are 78-year-old widow Joyce Thomas, who had lived in the country for 21 years, and 74-year-old George Mason, who had been there for 24 years and was receiving dementia care.

A 34-year-old British man also said this week that he was deported from Sweden in January despite having lived there since he was 10 and being married to a Swedish woman.

Sweden has defended its approach. The country's migration minister said the Migration Agency was following the rules and had granted residency permits to Britons who had reasonable grounds for making late applications.

However, the UK government has formally raised concerns through the EU-UK specialised committee about Sweden's high number of rejected late applications for post-Brexit residency applications.

The European Commission's 2024 annual report shows 14,233 post-Brexit residency applications had been decided in Sweden. UK government analysis found that 27.5 per cent, or 3,918 applications, had been refused.

That refusal rate was three times the rate in any other EU member state, according to the analysis.

For Charles and Lily, the statistics have become intensely personal. With Charles detained and facing possible deportation within weeks, the couple are once again waiting on the legal process that has shaped their lives since his residency application was rejected.