Sign up to Gransnet Daily
Our free daily newsletter full of hot threads, competitions and discounts
Subscribe
This is rather long but I hope you will read it.
Nelson Shardey, age 74, is a Ghanaian man who came to the UK nearly 50 years ago to study accountancy. When there was a coup in Ghana his family were unable to continue supporting him so he worked so he could continue his studies.
He worked for well-known firms such as Mother's Pride, Mr Kipling Cakes and Bendincks.
No-one ever queried his right to stay and work here. He paid his taxes.
Later on he ran a newsagent's, married and had a family. His sons went to university here and both have good jobs.
Mr Shardey bought a house after obtaining a mortgage.
He has performed jury service, and in 2007 was given a police award for bravery after tackling a robber who was attacking a delivery man with a baseball bat.
He never applied for a British passport as he never went abroad until 2019 when he wanted to go to Ghana after his mother died.
That's when his troubles started because the Home Office said he had no right to be in the UK.
Officials told him to apply for the 10-year route to settlement.
By that time, even if granted, he will be 84.
Over the 10 years it costs about £7,000, with a further £10,500 over the same period to access the NHS.
"I cannot afford to pay any part of the money they are asking," said Mr Shardey, who is recovering from prostate cancer."
Mr Shardey made a mistake in believing he did not need to apply for settlement here and no-one, not the HMRC, the CJA, the banks ever advised him otherwise.
This man has been an asset to our country, a man to admire.
Surely the Home Office should use some common sense and grant him British citizenship as a matter of urgency?
We need rules but there must be some way round this ridiculousness.
This was back in the mid 80s, so perhaps it was different then, or maybe she wasn't bothered about who she was swearing to?
She just wanted to get married.
It shows how people can slip through the net, though.
MissAdventure
Yes, she did get it sorted, and had to go to a strange office type hearing, where she swore allegiance to the queen out loud, and signed documents.
Strange stuff.
There are 3 different allegiances you can swear to . There is one that has no swearing of allegiance to the King or Queen .
Greta, being allowed to stay indefinitely doesn’t necessarily mean ‘forever’. I think you should take steps to formalise your situation by applying for British citizenship.
Germanshepherdsmum
Ah, we’re a lot older now - and if you’re a young person reliant on a visa to stay in a country I don’t think you’d forget. You know you are only allowed to stay for a limited time and need to take action to be entitled to stay longer or permanently.
Oh, you might.
I'm not quoting a specific case but yes, I do know of one!
Greta
I arrived in the UK in 1971; worked from day one. In 1975 I married my British husband. Later in 1975 I received a letter from the HO granting me leave to remain indefinitely in the UK. Fast forward to Brexit when I, as a EU citizen, had to apply for Settled Status. I had then lived and worked here for over 40 years and believed I was settled! After all, I had a HO document saying so.
Whenever there is a change in my circumstances (new name/address/telephone number/new passport/etc I must now report this to the HO. I can easily imagine that I could forget to report a small change and this worries me.
That's interesting Greta.
The system is complicated, and there could be many people in the same situation as you. With the Government, never assume anything. Indefinitely means different things to different people.
Ah, we’re a lot older now - and if you’re a young person reliant on a visa to stay in a country I don’t think you’d forget. You know you are only allowed to stay for a limited time and need to take action to be entitled to stay longer or permanently.
GSM I may have done .I see I should have booked a blood test last month !Life can and does get in the way .
Just a thought, I wonder how many GNetters have forgotten to renew a passport,or missed an important appointment because they forgot .
If you had been granted a visa to study and work in a foreign country, as a young person, would you forget that it had an expiry date?
It is so easy to forget to renew something. I don't know how some posters can be so sure that Mr Shardey deliberately didn't let the authorities know that has visa had run out. Perhaps he was waiting for the H.O. to contact him.Government departments do get things wrong. We've had several instances of that recently These things happen and he has obviously worked hard , paid his taxes, contributed to society so leniency should be shown.
I arrived in the UK in 1971; worked from day one. In 1975 I married my British husband. Later in 1975 I received a letter from the HO granting me leave to remain indefinitely in the UK. Fast forward to Brexit when I, as a EU citizen, had to apply for Settled Status. I had then lived and worked here for over 40 years and believed I was settled! After all, I had a HO document saying so.
Whenever there is a change in my circumstances (new name/address/telephone number/new passport/etc I must now report this to the HO. I can easily imagine that I could forget to report a small change and this worries me.
icanhandthemback
I would have thought he should have some leniency shown regarding pension and NHS as he has paid in; probably far longer than a number of natural born citizens who have taken out of the system but wouldn’t dream of working. However, if we checked up on visa lapses, we should be able to limit these problems. Nowadays we could link systems between visas and NI numbers to ensure people have a legal right to stay and work. I have to check any potential tenants for residency or I can be prosecuted. Of course, ID cards would help too…I’ll duck!
He's a Saint, people who are ill and don't work demonised, you don't know why people aren't working. There is a other thread on here about such.
This man knowingly overstayed his visa,used our stupid lack of immigration processes andchecks to aid and abett this, I don't know why him and his family are crying now he's been caught.Try overstaing your visa for years in Australia, or any other country for that matter.
I suppose he would have known that his Visa was limited, and for work purposes or study?
Not heard about this, so know nothing really, BUT this man has worked very hard, supporting himself and family, paid his taxes. Surprised the Taxman didn't clock him! Yes he's made a mistake, but he's not been a scrounging scrounger like many people in this country. There are many who enter illegally and demand everything! He's an older man, be gracious and appreciate his work ethic as a bonus. Leave him be.
icanhandthemback
I would have thought he should have some leniency shown regarding pension and NHS as he has paid in; probably far longer than a number of natural born citizens who have taken out of the system but wouldn’t dream of working. However, if we checked up on visa lapses, we should be able to limit these problems. Nowadays we could link systems between visas and NI numbers to ensure people have a legal right to stay and work. I have to check any potential tenants for residency or I can be prosecuted. Of course, ID cards would help too…I’ll duck!
👏👏👏👏👏
His visa entitled him to study and to work - hence he was given a NI number. Thereafter there were no checks.
Checking on people who have not left the country when their visa expired is well nigh impossible. The numbers are huge. In 2019/20 almost 2m visas were granted and over 86k people cannot be traced as having left when their visa expired. How on earth is it possible to keep tabs on such vast numbers of people?
I would have thought he should have some leniency shown regarding pension and NHS as he has paid in; probably far longer than a number of natural born citizens who have taken out of the system but wouldn’t dream of working. However, if we checked up on visa lapses, we should be able to limit these problems. Nowadays we could link systems between visas and NI numbers to ensure people have a legal right to stay and work. I have to check any potential tenants for residency or I can be prosecuted. Of course, ID cards would help too…I’ll duck!
And yet people come over on boats with no documentation and we fall all over them to make them welcome , this country is nuts
You may well be right Sasta, though I have not had reason to suspect any of the directors I worked with. If they were involved in any dodgy dealings they knew better than to let me, straight as a die and known to be so, know anything. I would defy any woman not to find the arms dealer charming and a real gentleman with impeccable manners. He was a property developer - few knew about his other income stream.
I bet you’ve actually met a good number of them professionally Germanshepherdsmum, albeit unknowingly. Most of them probably affable and pleasant. Business is rife with shady characters, ‘white collar fraud’ etc, if not outright criminals. But arms dealer takes some beating 😳.
Have not read the full story or heard it on the news but my first thought is that he's a better citizen than many who were born here and someone in authority should get this sorted out asap.
I’m sure you’re right Snorkel.
Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.
Totally agree this is when bureaucratic jobsworth have no common sense at all. How much time and money is wasted on causing such distress to a family. Let’s hope and pray his MP, will defend him and maybe the minister of common sense and judges will over rule any decision to deport him
Agree he should be accepted - the mistakes here are 'ours' - how do people do jury service and the many other things and no one checks their proof of identity/residence status - we have been idiots.
Just ignore that, posted while trying to close the annoying advert.
Registering is free, easy, and means you can join the discussion, watch threads and lots more.
Register now »Already registered? Log in with:
Gransnet »Get our top conversations, latest advice, fantastic competitions, and more, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
