John Sellers, a 34-year-old British man who has lived in Sweden for more than two decades, has been deported despite having spent his entire adult life there following his family’s move when he was 10. Sellers was ordered to leave in January, after three failed attempts to secure permission to remain. He was hoping to return to Gothenburg and start a family with his newly married wife, Caroline, according to friends and supporters quoted in Swedish media and the couple’s accounts of the case. Moved Under EU Free Movement RulesSellers moved to Sweden from Essex with his parents at the age of 10 during the period when UK residents benefited from EU free movement rules. His parents said they chose Sweden for its education system. His father died when he was 16. His mother later returned to England after Sellers began a college course in the country to train as a teacher. Fight To Stay Ends In DeportationSellers said he had fought for nearly seven years to stay in Sweden. He described Sweden as his home and said that when he returns to England he feels like a visitor. He also said the deportation has affected his ability to work and has brought significant costs related to legal action. Caroline, who has chronic health conditions including fibromyalgia and symptoms of long Covid such as chronic fatigue, said the case had left her under strain as she tried to recover and return to teaching. She said the relationship had been disrupted by the time, effort and money spent challenging the government’s decision. Sellers said he did not know when he would be able to physically reunite with his wife. Calls For A Review Of Post-Brexit TreatmentThe deportation comes as Swedish politicians and British residents raise concerns about the treatment of UK citizens after Brexit. Sweden’s migration minister, Johan Forssell, is expected to respond to a request from Swedish MP Håkan Svenneling for a review of the approach to British residents in the country following the UK’s exit from the EU. Svenneling intervened last month after it emerged that one of his constituents, 78-year-old widow Joyce Thomas, who has lived in Sweden for 21 years, was told to leave. Thomas has until 7 September to depart. Her friends and supporters have urged Forssell to pause removals and review a policy that critics say is not in line with the Brexit withdrawal agreement. Another elderly British citizen, George Mason, who is in full-time dementia care, was told to leave in August. His son said Mason was granted a temporary stay of execution until 28 September while migration authorities consider “obstacles to enforcement”. The Guardian said it is aware of another British man who was detained by police on Tuesday and told he will be deported. Join the discussion? 2 September 2026
View full article
Create an account or sign in to comment