British man deported after 24 years in Sweden

John Sellers grew up in Sweden, built his adult life there and married a Swedish woman. Now the British citizen is living in England while his wife remains in Gothenburg.

Sveriges Radio reports that Sellers, 34, moved to Sweden at the age of 10 and lived there for 24 years. The case has attracted attention in Britain, and the British embassy has contacted Sweden's government several times.

He was deported in January after three failed application routes, according to a Guardian account. His latest request, submitted with new evidence, is under review.

The decisive first route was not residence status under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. Sellers had applied for Swedish citizenship in September 2021, before the end-of-year deadline, and that application was later rejected. Two family-based applications also failed.

Migrationsverket says the residence-status deadline for covered British citizens was 31 December 2021. Late applicants need a reasonable explanation; merely being registered in Sweden or not knowing about the requirement is not enough on its own.

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