MAY WAS WARNED ABOUT DENZEL DEPORTATION WARNED ABOUT DEPORTATION
MP wrote letter appealing for intervention in Darku case.. but head of hostile Home Office ignored plight
Warnings over the stupidity of a bid to deport student nurse Denzel Darku were ignored by Theresa May when she was Home Secretary, the Sunday
Mail can reveal.
May t r ig gered a two- year deportation nightmare for Denzel, who was finally told last week he could remain in the UK. The Commonwealth baton carrier, 23, was forced to give up his studies and live with the threat of being sent to Ghana, despite having moved to the UK as a schoolboy. The Home Office U-turned on Thursday and granted the former Scot t ish Youth Pa r l i ament membe r permanent residency following our report exposing the scandal. Today we can reveal Denzel ’s ordeal began when May was Home Secretary and continued despite MSP Neil Bibby writing personally to her in July 2016, highlighting the case and demanding she intervene. Had she done so, Denzel could have completed his university course and achieved his dream of working as an NHS nurse, rather than spending two years in limbo. Bibby’s letter was sent just days before May left the Home Office to be sworn in as Prime Minister. It states: “I write regarding the recent decision to refuse Mr Darku leave to remain in the United Kingdom. .
“He has made an outstanding nding contribution to the communities innwhichwhich he has lived.
“Mr Darku is a former member of the Sottish Youth Parliament and has been involved in a number of worthwhile campaigns, including working to empower young people in Paisley.
“Mr Darku is currently training to become a nurse and is keen to complete his studies as he can work in our National Health Service.
“I appeal to you to use the discretion available to you to grant Mr Darku the necessary leave to remain in the United Kingdom, complete his training and continue his outstanding contribution to society. I hope you will personally look at this case in detail.”
Charity group Action For Children also wrote to May’s Home Office in the same month, highlighting Denzel’s “tireless volunteer work” and nursing studies. But both pleas were ignored and Denzel’s nightmare continued until last week.
His lawyer received a letter from Home Office officials in October 2017, saying his application had been refused.
The department – who have been heavily criticised for creating a “hostile environment” for immigrants during May’s reign – said his application wasn’t successful because he had failed to prove he was the “dependent direct family member of an EEA or Swiss national”.
Referring to Denzel’s dad, it added: “You have previously been issued with a residence card as the dependent child of your current EEA sponsor, Joseph Darku.
“Now that you are over the age of 21,it is incumbent upon you to demonstrate ongoing financial dependency.” Despite the trauma he has been put through, Denzel De refused to criticise May directly after aft hearing he had finally been granted residency res last week.
HeH said: “Every case is different and I am just grateful that I have finally been given giv the right to stay in Scotland and go back ba to university to become a nurse.
“I was sent a letter basically telling me to get out of the country when Theresa May Ma was Home Secretary.
“But immigration is not an easy topic and an I accept there are rules that need to be followed. If you don’t have laws, then th nothing works, so I don’t hold a grudge gr against anyone.
“But what I would say to Theresa May anand to the current Home Secretary Sajid JavJavid is that they need to remember they are dealing with human beings.
“I hope that when they have a case in frofront of them, they read it properly and ununderstand the decision they make will hahave a huge impact on real people’s lives.”
OnO Thursday morning, off icials contacted his lawyer to say he had been granted permanent residence. The dramatic U-turn followed several pol itical interventions af ter our front-page story.
Bibby raised the case at First Minister’s Questions, while the SNP’s Joanna Cherry spoke out at Westminster.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Denzel’s treatment by UK authorities was “scandalous”, while Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson phoned Javid on his behalf.
Bibby said: “It is fantastic and welcome news that Denzel has finally been given permanent residency in the country that has been his home since childhood.
“But there are still huge questions to be answered over why Theresa May’s Home Office put Denzel through this two-year ordeal in the first place.”