Swedish wife of detained British man urges Manchester mayor to act in Brexit deportation case
A British man living in Sweden since 2017 has been detained in Stockholm and faces deportation within two weeks, despite an ongoing appeal. His Swedish wife, a lawyer, has appealed to Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, to intervene. The couple's application to remain was rejected in 2022, and they have fought the order through multiple appeals.
Charles and Lily were summoned to a Stockholm police station on Tuesday morning, where Charles was detained and told he would be deported within two weeks despite an active court appeal. Lily, a lawyer who met her husband while studying in London in 2010, says the Migration Agency has pursued the family for five years since his residency application was rejected in 2022.
The case follows other recent removal threats in Sweden, including a 78-year-old British widow resident for 21 years and a 74-year-old man with dementia. Sweden has faced criticism for its high refusal rate of British citizens' residency applications under the Brexit withdrawal agreement, which was designed to protect those settled before the UK's exit.
This case could signal broader instability for British citizens residing in EU member states post-Brexit, particularly those who believed the withdrawal agreement guaranteed their status. Families facing sudden deportation may experience housing disruption, employment loss, and separation from spouses and communities. The situation may also strain UK-Sweden diplomatic relations and prompt scrutiny of how consistently the agreement is being applied across member states, potentially affecting public confidence in post-Brexit protections.