A seriously ill British man who has lived in southwestern Sweden since 2017 is facing deportation after a dispute over his post-Brexit residency rights. This forced him and his wife to leave their home in Falkenberg and seek shelter at a caravan park. Mark Smith, 60, says Swedish authorities previously told him he did not need to submit a residency application, while officials later ruled that he lacked permission to remain.
Smith was ordered to leave Sweden by October 17, according to the account of his case. On October 12, a court declined to suspend the deportation decision, leaving him until October 20 to apply for a retrial concerning the grounds for his indefinite deportation.
Conflicting Guidance From Government Authorities
The dispute has intensified concerns about how Sweden handled residency applications from British citizens after Brexit. This is particularly true for those who say they received unclear guidance from government authorities. Smith worked, maintained private health insurance, supported his wife, and registered on the population register administered by the national tax authority as required under Swedish rules.
However, Smith was unaware that Sweden was among 13 of the 27 EU member states that required Britons living in the country before Brexit to make a formal application to remain. Other countries, such as Spain, did not opt for that system and simply required Britons to declare residency.
“I asked the tax authorities three times on different occasions if I had to do anything because of Brexit and they said no, telling me I had to wait for five years to apply for permanent residency,” Smith said. “Because it was the tax authority, a government body, I took it for granted that what they told me was correct.”
Health Concerns and Immediate Danger
Smith has suffered heart attacks, strokes, severe headaches, and difficult-to-control high blood pressure. He also experienced a minor heart attack on a Wednesday night amid the ongoing legal stress, according to his account.
His wife, Petra, expressed profound concern over his vulnerability, stating that his medical conditions have left him unfit to travel. “He has been told he can’t drive, he can’t fly – what do they expect him to do? Get up and walk to England?” she said.
David Milstead, a British-Swedish volunteer citizens’ rights activist working through the Brits in Sweden group, noted that Smith’s experience is far from unusual. Milstead pointed out that numerous British citizens sought information from Swedish authorities after Brexit only to receive vague answers or assurances that no action was required.
Wider Post-Brexit Tensions in Sweden
Smith’s case mirrors several other high-profile disputes involving long-term British residents in Sweden. These include Horace Mason, a 74-year-old man with advanced dementia facing deportation after 25 years in the country, and Joyce Thomas, a 78-year-old widow living there for 21 years.
Campaigners highlight that Sweden has taken a notably strict stance on late applications under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. Figures from European Commission reporting show that out of 14,233 applications made in Sweden by the end of 2024, 3,918 were refused. This represents a 27.5% refusal rate, compared to an EU average of roughly 3% to 4%.
The British Foreign Office has confirmed it is providing consular support to Smith and raising the situation urgently with both Swedish authorities and the European Commission.
