British Widow, 78, Faces Swedish Deportation Over Missed Brexit Residency Deadline
Cathryn Udén, a 78-year-old British widow who has resided in Sweden since 2002, is facing deportation because she failed to complete a Brexit residence application by the 30 September 2021 deadline. Mrs Udén, who moved to Sweden to live with herin-laws, claims she was unaware of the necessity to apply for a new residency status following the UK's departure from the European Union.
Her application for a permanent residence permit was rejected by the Swedish Migration Agency. This decision was subsequently upheld by the Swedish Migration Court, which determined that her application was submitted too late. The court stated that the rules regarding applications for new residence status are unambiguous and apply to all British citizens living in Sweden.
Mrs Udén's situation is not isolated; an estimated 2,000 British citizens across the EU have faced similar issues with residency applications post-Brexit. Campaign groups, such as British in Europe, argue that some individuals, particularly the elderly or those with complex circumstances, may not have received adequate information or support to navigate the new bureaucratic requirements. The UK government maintains it ran extensive campaigns to inform citizens of the new rules, but these efforts appear to have been insufficient for all affected individuals.
The lack of a withdrawal agreement provision allowing for late applications on compassionate grounds has left Mrs Udén with limited recourse. She is now exploring all available legal avenues to challenge the deportation order, which would force her to leave her home and community after more than two decades.
