The family of an elderly British woman with Alzheimer’s who faces being ripped away from her loved ones and deported from Sweden was given fresh hope today – as immigration chiefs promised to look again at her case.
Kathleen Poole, a 74-year-old widow, moved to Sweden from Macclesfield 18 years ago to be close to her son Wayne and his Swedish wife, Angelica, and their four children.
But 11 years ago she developed dementia and has been in a care home near her family for the past 10 years and is now so incapacitated she cannot feed herself or go to the bathroom unaided.
An application made on her behalf by her family has been rejected because she does not have an up-to-date passport or financial statements to demonstrate her right to be in the country post-Brexit.
But today her family was told to supply the Swedish authorities with a doctors’ letter outlining her condition so that the authorities there can ‘reassess her situation’.
Kathleen Poole, an elderly British woman with Alzheimer’s who faces being ripped away from her loved ones and deported from Sweden, was given fresh hope today – as immigration chiefs promised to look again at her case. Mrs Poole (left) is pictured with her son Wayne (right)
Widow Kathleen Poole, 74, (centre) moved to Sweden from Macclesfield 18 years ago to be close to her son, Wayne (right), his Swedish wife, Angelica (left) and their four children
Her family say they have not updated her passport as she is bed-bound and can no longer travel. Mrs Poole is pictured in her bed at her care home in Sweden
Speaking to MailOnline from their home in Tanumshede in South-West Sweden, Mrs Poole’s daughter-in-law, Angelica, 42, told MailOnline: ‘We have just been told to get medical certificate detailing her condition, explaining that she cannot move and is confined to bed, that she cannot eat or speak and is extremely fragile.
‘Once we give that to the Migration Agency, an official there told us they will reassess the situation.
‘It’s positive news but I won’t get too far ahead of myself because they don’t seem to be communicating with the Swedish Police Authority who are continuing to pressurise the British Embassy in Stockholm into finding alternative accommodation and care for Kathleen in the UK.
‘They haven’t done so yet… and neither have my husband and I because I made a promise to my children that their grandmother will stay in Sweden. And I always keep my promises.
‘Kathleen’s family is here. She has a sister and brother who live in Buxton in Derbyshire but they haven’t seen her in 10 to 15 years.
‘The simple fact is that Kathleen’s life were her grandchildren. It’s been incredibly tough on them to watch her slowly slip away but we aren’t giving up.
‘We don’t know just how long she has left which is why we’re fighting so hard to keep her in Sweden with us.
‘We don’t know if she would even survive the journey to England because her health is so poor, there’s a significant risk that she wouldn’t.’
In 2004, Mrs Poole, gave up her job as a hotel chambermaid and with her husband, Ron, followed her son and daughter-in-law to the town of Tanumshede, just north of Gothenburg and close to the Norwegian border. She is pictured with her late husband
Mrs Poole’s daughter-in-law Angelica (left) told MailOnline that immigration officials instructed the family to get a medical certificate detailing Mrs Poole’s (right) condition, explaining that she cannot move and is confined to bed, that she cannot eat or speak and is extremely fragile
Mrs Poole is pictured next to her son Wayne as she reads a card and enjoys a box of chocolates
In 2004, Mrs Poole, gave up her job as a hotel chambermaid and with her husband, Ron, followed her son and daughter-in-law to the town of Tanumshede, just north of Gothenburg and close to the Norwegian border.
Her family have released touching photographs of her taken in happier times. In one image she is seen sitting next to her beloved husband Ron on a bench amidst a tranquil countryside setting. In others pictures, Mrs Poole poses with her three granddaughters and grandson and is seen clutching a box of chocolates.
In one particularly touching snap she lovingly cradles a new-born grandchild.
Ron passed away a few years ago from a stroke and Mrs Poole developed Alzheimer’s when she was 63. The crippling degenerative illness has meant she is now no longer able to look after herself.
She needs to be hoisted from her bed by carers to get into a wheelchair. She also uses continence pads.
Her loved ones said they made an application for her to remain in Sweden before the 2021 deadline. However, it was rejected as she did not have a passport.
Last year, they were told she would be deported in September. Police reportedly showed up at the care home a few months later in January when her loved ones, who do not have power of attorney, were unable to provide the documents needed for her to stay in Sweden.
Officers went through the pensioner’s wardrobes and riffled through her clothes before quizzing carers about her, the family said.
Mrs Poole developed dementia 11 years ago and has been in a care home for the past decade. She is now so incapacitated by the degenerative illness she cannot feed herself or go to the bathroom unaided
In happier times: Mrs Poole cuddles one of her grandchildren. She now faces being ripped from her family and deported to the UK, having not lived there for 18 years
Mrs Poole is seen clutching a box of chocolates in a photo shared by her family
News of Mrs Poole’s plight has outraged campaigners, who have lashed out at the decision – with Labour MP Hilary Benn branding it ‘deeply shocking’.
Councillor Laura Jeuda, who represents Macclesfield South at Cheshire East Council, told MailOnline: ‘I think it’s very cruel… I’m really surprised at Sweden. We know them for being very caring – their social care is really good.
‘It’s just bizarre they should pick on a woman of that age who has this added complication of dementia.
‘We don’t know what will happen to that poor woman if she’s ripped away from her family and taken to a strange county she won’t remember.’
The Labour councillor called on Whitehall to step in and oppose the decision by the Swedish authorities.
Branding the fiasco as ‘another downside of Brexit’, Ms Jeuda added: ‘We need to get something from government on this, otherwise what are we saying about our old people – that they really don’t matter?’
While David Milstead, a British professor of physics in Sweden who is part of the British in Sweden group, hit out at police saying they were ‘just doing a box-ticking exercise’ about what she can take with her instead of saying ‘this is preposterous, this should not be happening’.
‘Cruel’ and ‘deeply shocking’: Labour MP Hilary Benn, left, has lashed out at the move by Sweden to deport Mrs Poole, formerly from Macclesfield. While ocal councillor Laura Jeuda (right), who represents Macclesfield South at Cheshire East Council, blasted the decision to deport the pensioner, labelling it ‘cruel’
Under the withdrawal agreement for Brexit, UK citizens living in the EU before the 2016 referendum were granted the right to remain.
However, in several countries, it involved completing applications and paperwork to prove historical rights under free movement rules.
Mrs Poole and her family are being supported by the UK Foreign Office. A spokesperson for the Swedish government has said it is ‘against the law’ to comment on any immigration matter while the European Commission said it was ‘aware’ of Mrs Poole’s case and that it was ‘in touch’ with Swedish authorities.
More than 520,000 people in the UK have dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
