Joyce Thomas, a 78-year-old retired British nurse who has lived in Sweden for 21 years, has been given four weeks to leave the country after her post‑Brexit residency applications were rejected under rules brought in after the UK left the EU.
Under the EU‑UK Withdrawal Agreement, British nationals living in an EU country before the Brexit transition period ended on 31 December 2020 were entitled to apply for permanent residence. The agreement protected the rights of eligible British citizens already living in the EU before Brexit took full effect.
