Dementia patient George Mason's deportation from Sweden delayed amid legal battle

A 74-year-old British man with dementia facing deportation from Sweden has received a temporary reprieve while authorities review a legal challenge to halt his removal.

George Mason, who has lived in Sweden for more than two decades, was given until August 20 to leave the country after his application for permanent residency was denied. His daughter, Michelle Torossian, confirmed that Swedish authorities will not enforce the deportation order while they consider an injunction to block it—a process that could take anywhere from two weeks to six months.

Mason, originally from Hinckley in Leicestershire, suffers from vascular dementia and vascular parkinsonism and currently resides in a specialist care facility in Sweden. His family submitted updated medical documentation to support their appeal, arguing that relocating him to the UK would pose a serious risk to his health. Doctors have warned that moving him could endanger his life, a claim reflected in medical assessments submitted to Swedish Migration Agency officials.

The Swedish Migration Agency declined to comment on Mason’s individual case but confirmed it is reviewing an application to suspend enforcement of the deportation order. Torossian described the situation as "frustrating" and said the outcome remains uncertain. "We’re in a much safer position than we were last week, but we’re not at the finish line yet," the family stated.

Mason’s legal team plans to escalate the case to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary. His deportation became a possibility following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union in January 2020, which ended the automatic right of British citizens to live in Sweden. During the post-Brexit transition period, which concluded on December 31, 2021, Mason applied for residency under the EU-UK withdrawal agreement but was rejected twice—first in December 2021 and again through appeals in June and July of this year.

A court document noted that while Mason’s condition is not immediately life-threatening, relocating him from his current care environment is not medically justifiable and carries significant health risks. His son, Carl Mason, who resides in Sweden, was also unable to secure residency for his father through family ties.

Torossian said a legally appointed trustee, known as a god man, has been managing her father’s affairs due to his health condition.

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