‘It’s like a death sentence’ says British widow facing deportation from Sweden : world

[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 43 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

The referendum was in 2016.

Let's pretend she spent 4 years living under a rock and didn't hear anything till the papers were signed.

She had 2 years to apply for residence from Brexit in Januari 2020 to the end of 2021, which would have basically been automatically granted. She didn't. Brexit wasn't exactly the smallest event to happen...

Then, she applied two years late and was told in 2023 she couldn't stay and had to leave. The article is extremely silent on whether she appealed.

She ignored everything for three more years.

Now, in 2026 she was told she's getting kicked out, and is pretending it's everyone's fault but her own, and crying its all too sudden.

She has had 6 years to do something. She has literally nobody to blame but herself. Over 2300 days in which to do literally anything, but nope.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I do think her age kind of comes into play here though and warrants some leniency.

[–] frongt@lemmy.zip 20 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yeah, we should give her a couple years to get her paperwork in order. If she doesn't, give her some time to get her life together and move back to her home country.

Oh wait, that already happened and she's used up that grace period.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Thomas, a retired nurse, who has lived in Sweden for 22 years, was given four weeks to leave the country in August, separating her from her son, grandchildren, large network of friends, her church and her husband’s grave.

Her husband, Gwynne, died in 2023 of cancer. It was on a trip back from the UK in 2022, when they visited their second son in Brighton, that they first learned they should have made a formal application to stay in Sweden after Brexit. Joyce Thomas, 78, is facing deportation over Brexit from Sweden

Her subsequent application to stay in the country in 2023 missed the official deadline but she said her husband who looked after all the household administration, had previously been told there was nothing the couple needed to do after Brexit.

It sounds like there wasn't a proper follow up and with her husband's death, she simply wasn't aware. I have elderly family members that I could see finding themselves in the same situation, cognitively I mean, they are all in country. I barely keep on top of things myself tbh.

Rules are rules and all but it sounds a bit harsh.

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[–] Miaou@jlai.lu 5 points 1 week ago

I don't. Retired people have nothing better to do, and can get any appointment that is available at any point. 70 years aren't dementia riddled moving corpses, they can pick up a phone.

[–] BillCheddar@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm shocked at this lack of empathy by, well, almost all of you in this thread.

Y'all act like Republicans.

[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

She had 4 years of warning, 2 years of time to make the request, and since she heard she couldn't stay, she's had 3.5 years to do it.

Isn't that extremely lenient already?

[–] KullumDaue@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (3 children)

she is 78 you ignorant fk.

[–] DampSquid@feddit.uk 10 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Seems like people this old shouldn't be running countries then?

[–] sukhmel@programming.dev 4 points 1 week ago

No shit, but she's also not running a country either

[–] KullumDaue@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

✌️

[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 week ago (4 children)

So, how much leniency would you think is a good amount? What would you suggest happen?

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

A few more letters in the last months before maybe? Actually contacting the person a bit before the real consequences hit, just out of consideration.

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[–] HamsterRage@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 week ago

She was 68 when this started. Even 78 is too young to automatically assume senility related inability to cope with the situation.

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[–] sepiroth154@feddit.nl 18 points 1 week ago (3 children)

She has no-one to blame but herself.

[–] Sunshine@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 week ago (3 children)

For what exactly?

[–] justOnePersistentKbinPlease@fedia.io 16 points 1 week ago

It is your responsibility to know the laws of any country you visit, let alone move to.

Edit: while they are supposed to have nebulous rights to stay in the EU, most EU countries have not moved on that, and they would be in a weird limbo where they were allowed to stay(according to the agreement), but also not vote or work.

[–] sepiroth154@feddit.nl 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Not being aware of the local law.

[–] Sunshine@lemmy.ca 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Victimblaming.

Sweden is among 13 countries, along with the UK, that opted for a “constitutive” system requiring citizens to formally apply to remain in the country. Others, like Spain, opted for a less onerous “declaratory” system requiring registration in the country, something many Britons would already have done at their town hall.

[–] sepiroth154@feddit.nl 20 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Being ignorant of the law doesn't work in any jurisdiction.

[–] Sunshine@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Okay, spiteful tankie.

[–] sepiroth154@feddit.nl 21 points 1 week ago (1 children)

She's wealthy and connected enough to have known better.

Also throwing names is childish.

[–] Sunshine@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 week ago (4 children)

But campaigners at Brits in Sweden say countless British citizens were either given no information or incorrect information about what to do after Brexit by the authorities.

[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 week ago

So? Do you always get actively informed when laws change? Brexit was hardly stealthy.

[–] Natanael@infosec.pub 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

This is the British governments fault primarily. It was the British government's responsibility to take care of their citizens and negotiate something.

The remainder lies with the just ousted right wing Swedish government

[–] Miaou@jlai.lu 2 points 1 week ago

"White people forget to check their privileges" is clearly a less sensational headline

[–] sepiroth154@feddit.nl 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

We do not single out groups of people in Europe, last time we did that it ended up bad. Thats why they can't.

[–] AviAdi@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Wow what a rebuttal

[–] Sunshine@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago

Dunn Kruger effect right here, the most smug are really the most ignorant.

Sweden is among 13 countries, along with the UK, that opted for a “constitutive” system requiring citizens to formally apply to remain in the country. Others, like Spain, opted for a less onerous “declaratory” system requiring registration in the country, something many Britons would already have done at their town hall.

[–] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

After Brexit, Britons and EU citizens who had exercised those free movement rights were told their rights to remain in their host country would be guaranteed in the legally binding withdrawal agreement.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/20/british-man-torn-from-swedish-wife-and-home

[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 week ago

Lol what? No we were absolutely not told that.

We could apply to remain, and during that time wouldn't get kicked out. And that was granted just fine.

[–] Natanael@infosec.pub 6 points 1 week ago

Brexit rules. Loss of EU membership means loss of freedom of movement.

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[–] frongt@lemmy.zip 14 points 1 week ago

Lady, you're just going back to the UK. You're not going to a concentration camp, CECOT, or Rwanda. You'll be fine.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

trying to equate that to death sentence is some mental gymnastics. thought she could live tax free in another country.

[–] StillAlive@piefed.world 1 points 1 week ago

Tbf she might have to live in Swindon. 🤷‍♂️

[–] spacegoat@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Uh what

[–] SmoothOperator@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

I guess the lessons in these cases is that you can't rest easy in any country unless you're a citizen there. That's the only way to guarantee permanent residency under shifting political climates.

[–] stoly@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

She lost automatic eligibility for residency when brexit happened. She only needed to register to remain but didn’t.

[–] SmoothOperator@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Indeed. But none of this would have been an issue if she had applied for citizenship after the first eight years of her 22 year stay in Sweden.

[–] stoly@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

This is a very good point. I am working on my Colombian citizenship (via marriage) as we speak.

[–] majster@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Some people don't want to take citizenship of the country they are immigrating into. I know a few in such position.

[–] SmoothOperator@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Absolutely. But my impression is that people who are planning to stay permanently in a country, yet doesn't want citizenship of that country, tend to overlook the chance that they will one day be kicked out.

To be fair, the chance is very small, but as we can see, it happens.

[–] majster@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I think people do that because of sentimental reasons. Also some countries have restrictions on dual citizenship so you either have to jump trough hoops or make a decision you dont want to make.

[–] SmoothOperator@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Definitely. And thats fair. But as I said, you have to realize that this may ultimately end up meaning you get kicked out of the country in extreme cases like Brexit.

[–] stoly@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

You just do the thing in the other country and ignore what birth country demands.

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