The deportation of George Mason, a British citizen with dementia, from Sweden has been postponed due to his severe health conditions. Mason, originally from Hinckley in Leicestershire, had faced deportation proceedings after the UK's departure from the European Union.
British citizens ceased to have EU residency rights when the UK officially left the EU on January 31, 2020. During a subsequent transitional period, British nationals could apply for residence status under the withdrawal agreement, a process that concluded on December 31, 2021.
Documents from the Swedish Migration Agency indicate that an application for permanent residency for Mason was submitted on December 21, 2021. However, this application was denied because the necessary documentation to support his residency claims was not provided. A subsequent attempt to gain residency based on his connection to his son, Carl Mason, who holds Swedish residency, was also unsuccessful.
Further appeals to the Migration Court of Appeal in June and July of the current year were also rejected. A court-ordered medical assessment concluded that relocating Mason from his current care environment would be "not medically justifiable" and would pose "significant risks" to his health. Despite this, court documents noted that his condition was not deemed "life-threatening" and that he would be able to receive adequate care in the UK.
Mason's daughter, through a legally appointed trustee, had been managing his affairs due to his health. The trustee explained that Mason's health conditions made him unable to manage his own affairs. The delay in deportation comes as a result of the medical assessment highlighting the potential dangers of moving him.