英国患者因瑞典居留申请误导面临被驱逐

一名患有重症的英国籍男子马克·史密斯因瑞典当局的信息错误而陷入困境，被告知必须离开这个他已居住多年的国家。1 史密斯自2017年起在瑞典生活，瑞典税务当局曾三次向他确认脱欧后无需采取任何行动，但事后他被通知应在2017年10月17日前完成正式居留申请。1 瑞典法院在2024年10月12日裁定不暂停驱逐决定，但给予他到10月20日前提交重新审理申请的机会。1

瑞典政府的做法引发了对脱欧协议条款的质疑。1 根据脱欧撤销协议，各国政府应向居民充分沟通新规则，对迟到申请进行合理考虑，并做出"相称"的决定，特别是对弱势群体。1 然而瑞典已驱逐458名英国人，这些被驱逐者包括在该国生活自10岁起的男子和一名与瑞典人结婚的65岁男子。1 值得注意的是，在欧盟27个成员国中，瑞典在其中13个国家要求英国居民进行正式申请，而西班牙等其他国家仅要求声明居住即可。1

史密斯的妻子表达了家人的困境，称"他被告知不能开车，不能坐飞机——他们指望他怎么办？步行回英国？"1 英国外交部已表示正向瑞典当局和欧盟委员会紧急提出此情况。1

Mark Smith, a British national living in Sweden, has gone into hiding after receiving a deportation order, despite being misinformed by Swedish authorities about the steps required to secure his residency following Brexit 1. Smith, who has lived in Sweden since 2017, was incorrectly told that he did not need to take any action after Britain's departure from the European Union, causing him to miss the application deadline 1. When he inquired with tax authorities three separate times about whether action was necessary, he received assurances each time that none was required 1.

Sweden's approach to post-Brexit residency has proven more stringent than many other European nations. The country has deported 458 British citizens and is among 13 of the EU's 27 member states requiring formal applications from British residents, whereas other nations such as Spain require only a declaration of residence 1. A Swedish court on October 12 refused to suspend Smith's deportation but granted him until October 20 to submit a request for reconsideration 1. His wife expressed the impossible position he now faces, stating: "He was told he cannot drive, he cannot fly—what do they expect him to do? Walk back to Britain?" 1

The deportations contradict provisions of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, which stipulates that governments should communicate rules clearly, give reasonable consideration to late applications, and make proportionate decisions, particularly for vulnerable people 1. The British Foreign Office has indicated it is urgently raising the situation with Swedish authorities and the European Commission 1.