Crumb
c/world · by Sunshine@lemmy.ca · 3d

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

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/09/like-a-death-sentence-british-widow-facing-deportation-from-sweden-lives-life-in-limbo

81 points · 52 comments · view on lemmy.world

52 Comments

Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works · 42 pts · 3d (18 replies)

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 · 8 pts · 3d (4 replies)

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

frongt@lemmy.zip · 19 pts · 3d (2 replies)

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 · 13 pts · 3d (1 reply)

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.

prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 2d

Why did it take a year to apply after finding out she needed to apply?

I'm like the king of procrastination, but c'mon

Miaou@jlai.lu · 5 pts · 2d

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.

narinciye@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 2d
[ removed ]
BillCheddar@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 3d (11 replies)

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 · 11 pts · 2d (10 replies)

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 pts · 2d (9 replies)

she is 78 you ignorant fk.

DampSquid@feddit.uk · 9 pts · 2d (2 replies)

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

sukhmel@programming.dev · 4 pts · 2d

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

KullumDaue@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2d

✌️

Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 2d (4 replies)

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

Grimy@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2d

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.

KullumDaue@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2d (2 replies)

she should be granted residency in Sweden.

Honytawk@discuss.tchncs.de · 2 pts · 2d

Tell that to Brexit. Cause that is what was decided for everyone else as well.

Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2d

So, the solution to this Brexit problem was to not do Brexit. Yeah, entirely true.

HamsterRage@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 2d

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

sepiroth154@feddit.nl · 14 pts · 3d (19 replies)

She has no-one to blame but herself.

Sunshine@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 3d (16 replies)

For what exactly?

justOnePersistentKbinPlease@fedia.io · 16 pts · 3d

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.

Natanael@infosec.pub · 6 pts · 3d

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

sepiroth154@feddit.nl · 5 pts · 3d (13 replies)

Not being aware of the local law.

Sunshine@lemmy.ca · 13 pts · 3d (10 replies)

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 · 18 pts · 3d (9 replies)

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

Sunshine@lemmy.ca · -1 pts · 3d
[ removed ]
Sunshine@lemmy.ca · -8 pts · 3d (7 replies)

Okay, spiteful tankie.

sepiroth154@feddit.nl · 20 pts · 3d (5 replies)

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

Also throwing names is childish.

Sunshine@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 3d

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.

AviAdi@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 3d

Wow what a rebuttal

BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 3d (1 reply)

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 pts · 2d

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.

altphoto@lemmy.today · -1 pts · 3d (1 reply)

She was born in the wrong place? Like if you're born in Taiwan you stay in Taiwan. If you're born in Mexico you stay in Mexico. If you're born in Nepal, you stay in Nepal. If you're born on earth you stay on earth.

Right? Stay where you were born. If you're born in Africa in the worst possible conditions, stay there. That makes a lot of sense to me... Since I don't live in Africa in the worst possible conditions.

Whatever happened to risking it all to make it big elsewhere? Remember? Like you want to be an ass-tronaut then go live in Florida and try getting into NASA... sorry I meant NAZA... If you want to be a great painter? Italy, France, Netherlands, Montana, Japan, Alaska. Singer? Las Vegas! A photo lithography expert... Netherlands, Tokyo, Taiwan, California. Biologist? California, Philadelphia. Ceramic expert? Mexico, China, Japan. Wild animal expert? Mexico, Thailand, Brazil Africa. Everywhere has possibilities but some areas have more than others.

So, no, I think that once you figure out what you want to do, you work your way up to meet the challenge.

Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 2d

I think that once you figure out what you want to do, you work your way up to meet the challenge.

Ok, but her whole mess started her NOT doing anything and ignoring the situation till the last possible minute. And then complaining it's very sudden and mean.

frongt@lemmy.zip · 14 pts · 3d

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 pts · 2d (1 reply)

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

StillAlive@piefed.world · 1 pts · 2d

Tbf she might have to live in Swindon. 🤷‍♂️

SmoothOperator@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 3d (10 replies)

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 pts · 2d (7 replies)

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

SmoothOperator@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2d (6 replies)

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.

majster@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 2d (4 replies)

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 pts · 2d (3 replies)

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 pts · 2d (2 replies)

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.

stoly@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2d

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

SmoothOperator@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2d

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 pts · 2d

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

prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 2d (1 reply)

I guess the lessons in these cases is that you can't rest easy in any country unless you're a citizen there

This isn't currently true in the US. Much more dependent on things like skin color

SmoothOperator@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2d

Indeed. But it is, at least in my impression, not yet legal to do so.

spacegoat@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2d

Uh what