A 22-year-old woman who was born and raised in London is grappling with the unthinkable – the threat of deportation from the only home she has ever known. According to reports, despite being born in the UK and holding a British birth certificate, she now finds herself in legal limbo due to complex immigration rules.
Express reported that The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, was born in 2001 to Portuguese parents who had migrated to the UK a year earlier. Growing up like any other British child, she attended nursery and school, registered with a GP, and possessed the standard ‘red book’ recording her health information.
“In my mind, I am – and always have been – British. There is nowhere else I know as home and I have never lived in any other country,” she stated.
Her ordeal began when she started a job as a care worker last December and was asked to provide a ‘share code’ to prove her Right to Work. As reported by the woman, an employee at Wembley Civic Centre had previously advised her mother that applying for settled status did not apply to her since she had a British birth certificate.
However, the reality was far more complex. “I learned that using a British birth certificate is only enough if you are already a British citizen, but because I do not have a British passport and have never had one, I am not,” she explained
Hoping to resolve the issue, she applied for the EU Settlement Scheme in December 2023, only to have her application rejected four days later. The Home Office cited the missed deadline and insufficient evidence to justify a late application as reasons for the rejection.
“Just like that, my identity and belonging were stripped away from me and my life began to fall apart,” she said, according to reports.
Attempts to obtain a British passport also hit a roadblock when she was asked to provide documents from her mother showing she had Leave to Remain when the woman was born in 2001. Without her mother’s expired Portuguese passport from that time, the process ground to a halt.
“I could actually be deported,” she realized, a prospect that filled her with dread. “I have never lived in Portugal, I grew up in London and this is my home. I would have to start my life all over and the thought of that made me feel deeply depressed.”
The woman, who is autistic, said the uncertainty exacerbated her mental health struggles, leading to depression and overwhelming stress. She lost her job due to the status issues, leaving her without means of supporting herself.
“I am terrified I may have to leave my home, my family and friends, and all that I have known for a country whose native tongue I don’t even speak and who cannot adequately support me with my mental health needs,” she stated, as reported.
With the support of the charity Rights of Women, she is reapplying for settled status, but the process remains uncertain and lengthy. According to the Migration Observatory, thousands of people face similar struggles in the UK.
“The Government and decision-makers need to recognise the psychological, emotional and mental cost of their insensitive and inhumane immigration policies,” she said. “We are not just numbers on a form; we are individuals with lives, livelihoods and mental wellbeing at stake.”
She called for changes to better support those caught in legal limbo, acknowledging that her journey reflects systemic failures in the UK’s immigration system. “It’s time for change, compassion, and recognition of the inherent right of every individual to belong,” she implored.
Until then, she remains in the shadows, fighting for her place in the country she has always called home.
