British citizen who moved to Sweden as a child faces deportation

Nichola Stanlick, who has lived in Sweden since she was seven years old, now faces the threat of deportation after her application for permanent residency was denied. The situation highlights the ongoing uncertainty for many British citizens residing in Sweden following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union.

Stanlick, now 49, moved to Sweden with her mother when she was a child and has since built her life there, attending school, working, and raising three children who are Swedish citizens. Despite her deep ties to the country, she never obtained Swedish citizenship herself. The post-Brexit agreement required British nationals living in Sweden to apply for residency status by December 31, 2021, with specific criteria including residing in Sweden before 2020 and having five years of self-sufficiency.

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Nobody thought it could become so important, and one regrets it today.

Stanlick assumed her application would be approved, but the decision from the Swedish Migration Agency was a rejection, ordering her to leave the country. This news caused her immense distress, leading to what she describes as "full stress" for the past four years. The prospect of deportation means she would have to leave her home, jobs, and potentially be separated from her children, while facing the daunting question of where she would go in England, a country she hasn't lived in since childhood.

The core issue for Stanlick is a period of unemployment during the five-year assessment period. She had resigned from a parking attendant job to pursue a full-time position at a convenience store, but the pandemic delayed this opportunity. The Migration Court upheld the denial, stating that her unemployment was not considered involuntary since she resigned voluntarily, thus not meeting the criteria for permanent residency. The Migration Agency's press chief noted that while a proportionality principle exists in the withdrawal agreement, it cannot override the legal requirement for involuntary unemployment.

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Knowing that I might be deported. Then I have to give up the apartment and the jobs, disappear. My daughter would have to move to her father. But where should I go in England? I am home here, but have never felt so outside.