A 60‑year‑old British national living in Sweden has gone into hiding after receiving a phone call telling him he must leave the country because he is an “alien” without permission to stay.
Mark Smith, who has suffered heart attacks, strokes, chronic high blood pressure and severe headaches, said he was told on the phone that he should depart by 17 October. Smith told reporters that the instruction came despite earlier advice that he did not need to take action to retain residency following the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union.
Smith says he was told on three separate occasions that he needed to do nothing in order to remain in Sweden after Brexit. He now fears deportation and has withdrawn from public view while he seeks to resolve the situation.
The case highlights the practical difficulties some British nationals have faced since Brexit in securing or proving their residency status in EU countries. Smith’s account underlines concerns that administrative errors or misunderstandings about post‑Brexit residency rules can have severe consequences, particularly for vulnerable people with significant health needs.
Swedish authorities have not been quoted in this report and it is not known whether an appeal process or other remedies have been pursued in Smith’s case. His situation follows broader questions across Europe about how governments are handling the residency status of former EU citizens and the communication of requirements to those affected.
Smith’s case may prompt calls for clearer guidance and safeguards to ensure that people with serious health conditions are not left without legal protection while their status is clarified.