Sweden's migration minister, Johan Forssell, defended his country's removals of British citizens on Wednesday, saying the Swedish migration agency had "fulfilled its commitments" under the Brexit withdrawal agreement. He made the remarks in response to parliamentary questions about individual cases, including that of Joyce Thomas, a 78-year-old British widow ordered to leave Sweden after 21 years.
The removals target British nationals who failed to apply for residence permits within the deadline set following Britain's departure from the European Union. Sweden has enforced the requirement strictly, resulting in deportation orders for citizens who missed the application window.
Forssell's statement represented a hardline position on the implementation of post-Brexit migration rules. The case of Thomas and others like it has drawn criticism from those who view the decisions as unjust.
