# British man deported from Sweden, left homeless in UK > Charles lands at Heathrow with two bags after five years fighting to stay with his Swedish wife, as Stockholm deports more Britons than any EU state. - Title: British man deported from Sweden, left homeless in UK - Summary: Charles lands at Heathrow with two bags after five years fighting to stay with his Swedish wife, as Stockholm deports more Britons than any EU state. A… - Keywords: charles, sweden, deportation, brexit, british citizens, withdrawal agreement, heathrow airport, british in europe, migration, homelessness, news, world - Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/20/british-man-torn-from-swedish-wife-and-home - Published: 2026-09-20T12:02:43+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: charles, sweden, deportation, brexit, british citizens, withdrawal agreement, heathrow airport, british in europe, migration, homelessness, news, world ## Deported and homeless at Heathrow Charles, a sixty-five-year-old former British business director, arrives at Heathrow airport sobbing after being deported from Sweden, separated from his wife and home. ## Five years fighting to stay Charles had battled for five years to remain in Sweden after Brexit ended free movement rights. He was last in the UK in twenty twenty-two for one week. ## Nothing left in Britain An only child with no children and no property in the UK, Charles has been made homeless. He emigrated to Sweden nearly nine years ago and has no ties to Britain. > I have nothing, nothing in the UK at all ## Sweden's hardline deportation record Sweden has deported four hundred fifty-eight British people after rejected residency applications, a higher proportion in terms of its population than any EU member state. ## Detained without warning Two weeks ago Charles and his wife were asked to their local police station to discuss their migration case. He was immediately detained and told he would be deported. ## Locked up before deportation Charles was held in a Swedish detention centre for two weeks. He was given only a toothbrush, toothpaste and earplugs, which he received in a sealed envelope from Kriminalvården, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service. ## Forced departure with nothing Charles begged authorities to let him drive to Britain to collect belongings, saying he had nothing in the UK. They refused. He arrived at Heathrow with only two bags his wife packed. ## Treated like a criminal Charles says he has done nothing wrong. For nine years he learned Swedish, integrated into society and contributed to the economy. He feels punished for being a law-abiding resident. > I've done nothing wrong but feel I've been treated like a criminal ## Pattern of controversial cases Sweden has deported other long-term British residents including a seventy-eight-year-old widow after twenty-one years, a seventy-four-year-old man with dementia after twenty-five years, and a thirty-four-year-old who arrived aged ten. ## Withdrawal agreement questioned Jane Golding, chair of British in Europe, says Sweden's implementation may breach the legally binding withdrawal agreement that promised citizens could continue their lives as before. ## Unequal monitoring and support Unlike the UK, no EU member state has a statutory body to oversee withdrawal agreement implementation. Golding says unfunded volunteers trying to help British citizens enforce their rights are overwhelmed. ## Opposition promises second chance Opposition parties now on track to form a Swedish government have promised urgent laws to give Britons a second chance to apply for residency, though Charles faces an uncertain future in the UK. ## Key takeaway A sixty-five-year-old British man has been deported from Sweden after a five-year residency battle, leaving him homeless in the UK where he has no property or family.