Yahoo News UK-born baby faces deportation after being ordered to leave
A family has reported experiencing "sleepless nights" as their 13-month-old daughter faces potential removal from the UK. The parents of Massah have legally resided in Britain since 2021 after her father arrived from Jordan for PhD studies, with her mother accompanying him as a dependent, Sky News reports.
The threat of removal materialised for Massah after the family holidayed overseas in January. Owing to her status not being ratified prior to this inaugural family trip, upon return, she technically re-entered the UK as a tourist.
Immigration officials are unwilling to acknowledge this discrepancy. Efforts made by Massah's parents to secure a child-dependent visa met with a letter from the Home Office instructing that their daughter "will be required to immediately leave the UK", necessitating application for a visa abroad, reports the Express.
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The government correspondence further asserted: "In the particular circumstances of your case, it has been concluded that the need to maintain the integrity of the immigration laws outweighs the possible effect on you/your children."
The sleepless anxiety suffered by Mohammed, the girl's father, and his wife was triggered by this alarming epistle. The couple have been tirelessly working with their MP and legal team to resolve the issue but to no avail. They are reluctant to travel to Jordan to reapply for their baby's visa due to the current volatility in the Middle East, and they fear that even if they do, their application might still be rejected.
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Speaking to Sky News, Mohammed expressed his distress: "I can't imagine how I can tell her the story in the future that the country you [were] born asked you to leave while you [were] a year old."
He continued, "I'm trying to fix everything. I don't need to consider a one-year-old infant as an overstayer here."
In response, a Home Office representative stated to Sky News: "All visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with the immigration rules."
They added, "We are working closely with the parents of this child to ensure they receive the support and direction they require regarding the application."
The government has been steadfast in its promise to tighten immigration controls, with recent figures released on Thursday indicating a slight decrease in net migration.
