Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson (Wikipedia Photo). He has not commented on the deportation of George Mason.
George Mason, 74 years old, is facing deportation from Sweden. This week, Mason’s daughter, Michelle Torossian, drew attention to one of the unspoken realities of Brexit.
She told BBC that her 74-year-old father is facing deportation, after many years living in Sweden. According to Torossian, Sweden is set to deport her elderly father, George Mason, who has dementia.
She also explained that her father has lived in the country for the last 20 years.
Although Mason’s family appealed the deportation order, the Swedish Migration Court of Appeal has apparently rejected it. The documented verdict indicates that the court finds it reasonable to deport Mason.
While the authorities’ interest is in keeping immigration regulated, Mason’s family finds the decision awful. This is not one of the cases where someone faces deportation following suspicion of a crime.
However, it is not clear why the Swedish government is keen on deporting George Mason. According to Michelle Torossian, her father has lived in Sweden for the last 20 years. This would mean he was residing in Sweden before Britain exited the European Union.
George Mason: Has his case to do with Brexit?
Britain voted to leave the European Union a few years ago, and the parties involved completed the modalities in 2020.
Hence, as from 1st February 2020, Britain is no longer a member of the European Union (EU). Meanwhile, Sweden remains a member of the EU. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, many years after Britain.
Often when people discuss the impact of Brexit, they consider how it has affected the countries economically. They consider how Brexit has affected people’s employment opportunities, since there is no longer free movement of labour.
Incidentally, they rarely discuss the impact on British citizens like George Mason, already living in the European countries. They rarely highlight predicaments such as the one George Mason’s family is facing.
When did Britain Join the European Union?
Britain was a member of the European Union for 47 years. The British government first expressed interest in joining the Union, then called the European Economic Community (EEC), in 1961.
France did not like the idea and vetoed Britain’s application in 1963. Later, Britain made a second attempt to join the EEC, and, once more, France vetoed Britain’s application in 1967.
Nevertheless, there was a glimmer of hope in 1969, and positive discussions began in 1970. Ultimately, Britain became a member of the EEC in 1973. Ireland also joined the EEC at that time, and 20 years later, the name changed to the European Union (EU).
For now, it remains to be seen if Sweden will proceed to deport George Mason,despite his doctors’ advice. According to Torossian, her father’s doctors consider it unsafe to take him through the deportation process.