A 61-year-old disabled Nigerian man, Anthony Olubunmi George, who has spent 38 years in the United Kingdom, risks deportation by the Home Office.
George arrived in the UK at the age of 24 in 1986 from Nigeria and has since remained there with no criminal convictions.
According to the Guardian UK, in 2019, the 61-year-old experienced two strokes that had a significant impact on his ability to speak and move.
George reportedly said he no longer has any immediate relatives residing in Nigeria and has faced numerous episodes of homelessness.
He also admitted to losing track of the countless friends who have sheltered him over the years.
He said, “I don’t know how many different sofas I’ve slept on – too many to count. I don’t have my life, living the way I’m living now. My health problems since I had my stroke are my biggest worry. All I’m asking for is some kindness from the Home Office.”
George has submitted multiple applications for leave to remain in the UK, all of which have been denied by the Home Office, with the most recent rejection occurring on May 7, 2024.
In 2005, his previous solicitors submitted a falsified entry stamp in his passport, which has since been reported to the police and the legal regulatory bodies.
However, George, in an interview with the Guardian, revealed that he was completely unaware of the passport stamp until several years later.
According to his current lawyer, Naga Kandiah of MTC Solicitors, George’s difficulties can be attributed to his poor past legal representation.
In their latest rejection, the Home Office stated that the situation was not deemed exceptional.
Kandiah has filed an appeal challenging the most recent denial.
He said, “My client has been living in limbo for 38 years, with no family, has suffered two strokes and has no family left in Nigeria.
“His situation is not just because of Home Office policies but also because of poor representation by previous solicitors who failed to uphold professional integrity and ethical standards.”
A spokesperson for the Home Office, speaking with the aforementioned publication, said, “Applications have to be considered on their merits in accordance with the immigration rules, and applicants are responsible for demonstrating that they meet these rules.”
