UK tells blind Nigerian pensioner to go home to India
A 67-year-old blind Nigerian pensioner who has lived in the United Kingdom for 26 years has been denied indefinite leave to remain by the Home Office, which erroneously suggested in its refusal letter that she could safely move to India. Comfort, who arrived in the UK in 2000 and lost her sight shortly afterward due to acute glaucoma, secured permission to stay in 2022 under long residence rules. While migrants on this path previously had to renew their visas every 30 months over a ten-year span, newly announced settlement rules introduced by Shabana Mahmood mean she could now face 20 additional years of renewals, delaying her eligibility until her late 80s.
Lawyers at Refugee and Migrant Justice requested fast-track indefinite leave to remain on compassionate grounds, but the Home Office rejected the plea. Although the initial assessment mentioned services in Nigeria, the formal decision bizarrely concluded that her condition was not severe enough or lacking treatment in India—a country she has never visited. Freedom of information data uncovered by the legal charity reveals that many elderly applicants face similar barriers, including a 103-year-old woman from Pakistan who would not qualify for settlement until age 123. Nick Beales, campaigning head at the charity, criticized the government's approach as cruel and fixated on appearing tough, while Home Office sources indicated an updated letter would be reissued.
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