A pregnant Brazilian woman married to a Swedish citizen is preparing to leave Sweden after the Migration Court upheld an order requiring her to exit the country to reapply for residency from abroad. Five months pregnant with her first child, Brenda Ramström was given four weeks to depart following the court's rejection of her appeal in September, disrupting plans to build a family life with her husband, Marcus Ramström.
Brenda's order to leave marks the end of a tumultuous sequence of events over the past year. Having initially arrived in Sweden five years earlier, she separated from her previous Brazilian partner in August 2024. Three months later, in November 2024, she lost her job at battery manufacturer Northvolt's flagship factory in Skellefteå during a wave of layoffs. Her initial residency visa expired around the same period.
Towards the end of 2024, Brenda met Marcus over New Year's via Tinder while she was visiting a friend in Stockholm and Marcus was visiting his parents in Strängnäs. At the time, Marcus was living in Falun while Brenda remained in Skellefteå. Having no remaining ties to Skellefteå after her employment ended, Brenda moved to Falun to live with Marcus. Shortly after, she secured a new job in Gothenburg, leading the couple to relocate together after five months of dating.
Marcus expressed total commitment to the relationship early on, reflecting that he felt she was someone he would never let go of and intended to stay with forever. Seeking to formalize her status, Brenda submitted an application to the Swedish Migration Agency to renew her residency permit by tying it to her relationship with Marcus as her partner. However, two days before Christmas, the agency rejected her application.
Recalling the moment she received the rejection notice at work, Brenda explained that officials claimed her employment was not sufficiently secure despite holding a permanent work contract. The agency further determined that their relationship was not strong enough, even though the couple were already cohabiting. The pair appealed the decision, keeping their focus on major upcoming life milestones.
The couple subsequently held their wedding surrounded by celebrating friends and family. Marcus noted his pride that loved ones could clearly see their shared happiness. Just one week after the wedding, the couple received unexpected news that Brenda was pregnant. Brenda recalled feeling shocked, having previously attributed her grumpiness and stress to wedding planning before learning she was already one month pregnant.
Their joy was brief. In September, the Migration Court issued a judgment upholding the Migration Agency's original rejection, granting the five-month-pregnant Brenda four weeks to depart Sweden. In accordance with general Swedish immigration rules, non-EU nationals are required to apply for residency permits from outside Sweden. The court sided with the agency's stance that Brenda must leave to reapply from abroad.
While exceptions to the requirement exist, the court ruled that Brenda's pregnancy did not qualify. In its judgment, the Migration Court stated that it factored in the early stage of her pregnancy and noted that the family life in question was established during a period when Brenda's legal right to reside in Sweden remained uncertain.
Before the court ruling, Brenda had left her job in Gothenburg as the combined toll of work contract stress and ongoing immigration uncertainty escalated. She had enrolled in English studies with the goal of pursuing a master's degree in Sweden, where she has lived for most of her adult life. The couple had also relocated to Borås to place Brenda closer to her studies and Marcus closer to work as they planned their family future.
Marcus voiced shock over the judicial outcome, explaining that they had believed the situation would resolve positively as they established their household in Borås. Facing no remaining legal recourse, Brenda prepared for departure, speaking just six days before undertaking a 23-hour journey from Stockholm to Amsterdam, onwards to São Paulo, and finally to Curitiba, where her mother resides.
Brenda described the emotional and logistical hardship of being forced apart from her husband during her pregnancy. She voiced distress over having to restart her medical care in Brazil, including finding a new obstetrician while unfamiliar with the current local system. She added that the sudden international travel placed a severe financial strain on the household.
Although Brenda will have a personal support network in Curitiba consisting of her mother and brothers, she emphasized the hardship of being separated from her husband. She noted that Marcus would miss crucial moments, such as feeling the baby kick or watching her stomach grow, while highlighting the risk that he might miss the delivery if labor begins early.
Addressing the separation, the court argued that the period apart was unlikely to be unreasonably long and concluded there were no major practical obstacles preventing Brenda from reapplying from Brazil. The court added that if her application is not processed in time, no impediment prevents Marcus from traveling to Brazil to join her for the birth.
The margin for Brenda to receive a decision from the Migration Agency fast enough to return to Sweden before airline rules restrict late-stage pregnancy travel remains extremely slim. Accepting those odds, Marcus has booked a flight to Brazil a few days prior to Brenda's due date, hoping to stay alongside her and their unborn daughter, whom they have named Isabella.
Marcus remains anxious about potential complications, pointing out that a single one-way flight with extra luggage costs approximately 30,000 kronor and that travel time can extend up to two days depending on layovers. He expressed deep concern over whether he could arrive in time if labor begins early, noting the travel time could span 30 to 40 hours.
Criticizing Swedish immigration authorities, Marcus expressed deep frustration over what he described as a rigid focus on paperwork over human lives. He emphasized that authorities failed to see Brenda's dedication, describing how she submitted thousands of job applications across Sweden every evening while living in Falun to build a life in the country. He shared their shared vision of owning a house in the forest with a lawn, a barbecue area, and potentially a pool to raise their family.
Brenda estimated that if she is unable to secure approval before Isabella is born, the family will likely be unable to return to Sweden until next summer. That timeline accounts for processing delays at the Migration Agency, medical recovery following childbirth, obtaining a passport for the infant, and administering necessary early childhood vaccinations.
Reflecting on the situation, Marcus described the circumstances as bizarre and baffling, calling for Sweden to reconsider how immigration enforcement impacts intact families. The couple noted that their priority remains focusing on Isabella's birth and future, with Marcus reiterating his desire to ensure his wife and daughter can eventually return safely to Sweden to build their permanent home together.
"It's been really hard for me because I want to be with my husband during my pregnancy. My plan was to have my baby here and now I have to do everything again when I arrive in Brazil. I have to find an obstetrician, and I don't remember exactly how the system works any more," she says.
