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A Nigerian woman who has spent more than two decades in the United Kingdom is seeking an exemption from immigration requirements that could keep her waiting until her 80s before she secures permanent residency.
Comfort, 67, who is blind, has appealed to the UK Home Office to grant her indefinite leave to remain, following concerns that proposed changes to the country’s settlement policy could extend her wait by another 20 years.
She relocated to Britain in 2000 and lost her sight not long after arriving, following complications from acute glaucoma.
Although she received permission to remain in the country in 2022 through the long-residence route, the current arrangement requires migrants to renew their visas every 30 months over a 10-year period before applying for permanent residency.
The proposed immigration reforms announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood could introduce a longer qualifying period, leaving Comfort facing several more years of uncertainty.
Seeking an exception because of her age, disability and lengthy stay in Britain, lawyers representing her at Refugee and Migrant Justice asked the Home Office to grant her permanent residency without further delay.
The department rejected the request. In its response, it initially suggested that she could return to Nigeria, where support services for blind people are available.
However, the refusal letter also referred to India, stating: “Your circumstances are not so severe or lacking in potential treatment in India that it would warrant indefinite leave to remain in this case.”
Comfort said the decision had left her disappointed, explaining that she had established her social and personal life in Britain and had no ties to India.
“In 2022, I got my permission to stay here based on long residence in the UK,” she said.
“I’m very disheartened that I may now need to wait nearly 20 years to get indefinite leave to remain.
“I have been living in this country for 26 years. I have found my home here and settled well. I have my friends, my church and do voluntary work. I’m a good citizen, not a law-breaker and am begging the Home Office to have mercy on me and grant me indefinite leave to remain now, rather than making me wait 20 more years.
“I don’t know why the Home Office said I could go back to India. It’s a country I have never visited and have no connection with.”
Nick Beales, head of campaigning at Migrant and Refugee Justice, which is assisting Comfort, questioned the need for the government to make her continue renewing her immigration permission despite her circumstances.
He argued that her lengthy residence, disability and age should be taken into account, adding that the proposed settlement reforms could worsen the situation for vulnerable migrants.
Beales also criticised the government’s approach to immigration, accusing it of prioritising a tough public image over the difficulties faced by people seeking to regularise their status.
He pointed to freedom of information figures obtained by the organisation, which reportedly show that elderly people are among those applying for settlement under the immigration system.
One case involved a 103-year-old woman from Pakistan who, under the proposed requirements, could have to reach the age of 123 before qualifying for permanent residency.
The organisation warned that extending settlement periods could leave some elderly migrants unable to obtain permanent status during their lifetimes.
Following the publicity surrounding Comfort’s case, Home Office sources indicated that steps were being taken to send her a corrected letter.
A spokesperson for the department said individual applications were not routinely discussed publicly but maintained that each case was assessed according to the relevant immigration rules and the evidence provided by applicants.
