A British photographer, Simon Montgomery, faces deportation from Sweden after the country’s migration authorities refused his bid to stay following the birth of his son last year. The decision, which would separate him from his 16-month-old child, was upheld by the migration court after an initial rejection by the migration agency.
Legal ruling The migration agency rejected Montgomery’s application on multiple grounds, and the migration court sustained that ruling. The order to deport him stands despite his appeals, according to the account of his case.
Montgomery has publicly said the ruling demonstrates that the "state’s interest in regulated immigration" is being placed above his family concerns. His case has drawn attention to the personal consequences of immigration enforcement for families in which one parent is not a resident.
The case highlights the broader tension between national immigration controls and considerations of family unity and child welfare. Montgomery, identified in reports as a photographer and a British national, faces the prospect of being removed from Sweden while his young son remains in the country.
There has been no indication in the available reporting that the decision will be overturned; the migration agency and migration court rulings currently form the basis for the deportation order. The situation remains subject to any further legal steps the family may pursue.