Widow living in fear of being deported after Home Office orders her to leave.

Woman enlists help from MP in bid to continue decade-long stay

A Ukrainian widow faces deportation after helping raise her granddaughters in Fife for almost a decade.

Valentyna Yakovleva, who has no other family, came to live with her daughter and son-in-law in Tayport more than nine years ago.

She has now been forced to appeal for help from local SNP MP Stephen Gethins in a last-ditch attempt to avoid being arrested and removed from the country after orders from the Home Office.

If sent back to Ukraine, the 69-yearold has no way of supporting herself or getting access to crucial medication.

Her son-in-law, Dr Andrij Sukhodub, said Valentyna, who suffers from various health issues, would probably not survive being thrown out of the country.

He said: “The only people who survive in Ukraine are those who are young and fit. It is no place to be sending her back to.

“She has no family there and her pension was frozen around seven years ago with no prospect of her ever having any access to it.

“Valentyna is our family, she has brought up our children and been part of this community for almost a decade.

“Sending her back will be an absolute breach of her human rights and devastating for all of us.”

Valentyna was granted several visitor visas between 2001 and 2011 but her application for Indefinite Leave to Remain on compassionate grounds was rejected in late 2011.

She tried again in 2014 under 10-Year Family and Private Life conditions but was again refused with no right of appeal.

In September 2015 she was served with a notice saying she was a person liable for removal as an “overstayer” and despite another application for Leave to Remain under the European Convention on Human Rights, she was again refused and served with another notice.

Mr Gethins said he hopes “common sense” will prevail. A Home Office spokesperson said Ms Yakovleva’s application “did not meet requirements of immigration rules”.

They added: “This decision has been backed up by an independent immigration judge.”

She has no family there and her pension was frozen around seven years ago with no prospect of her ever having any access to it.

DR ANDRIJ SUKHODUB

Valentyna Yakovleva, who lives with her daughter and son-in-law, and SNP MP Stephen Gethins.