Mum-to-be faces deportation to Zika danger zone
A WoMAn who was advised not to return to her homeland while pregnant with her British fiance’s child because of the Zika virus has been told she could be deported within days.
deiseane santiago, a 22-year-old Brazilian, flew to the uK in november to be with her 26-year- old fiance simon ellis, who she had met online. The couple had planned to fly back to south America before her five-month visa expired.
But Miss santiago, who is known as daisy, became pregnant in Britain and is concerned their unborn child could contract the virus, which has been linked to birth defects – in particular, abnormally small heads, or microcephaly.
Her fears were backed up by Mr ellis’s GP, who wrote a letter supporting their application to extend Miss santiago’s visa until after the baby’s birth. But the Home office has turned down the request – claiming Public Health england’s advice that pregnant women should avoid Brazil relates only to British nationals.
on Monday, Whitehall officials wrote to the former business student, who is now 26 weeks preg- nant, warning her that she could now be arrested and deported before the end of the month.
Mr ellis, a hotel worker, said: ‘We are worried daisy will still be made to return to Brazil, despite medical advice. We don’t want to put our unborn child at risk. We are not spongers. We just want to follow the medical advice and protect our baby from this awful virus.’
He said he had paid for all daisy’s medical care in the uK via the Immigration Health surcharge, a fee which must be paid as part of some immigration applications. Mr ellis, from Kegworth, Leices- tershire, is planning to lodge an appeal against the ruling. He said of the Public Health england advice: ‘It doesn’t say British pregnant women, it says women.’
The church the couple attend has also rallied behind them, with the rev Paul Phillips – pastor at Kegworth Baptist Church – saying: ‘It is inhumane to send her to a place where health authorities have said pregnant women should avoid.’ susan Cooke, the children and family worker at the church, added: ‘They will still be moving to Brazil, all they want is to stay in the uK for a few extra weeks.’