UK wrongly tells Nigerian pensioner to seek treatment in India

A 67-year-old blind Nigerian pensioner, Comfort, has been erroneously advised by the UK Home Office to seek medical treatment in India, despite living in the UK for 26 years. Comfort, who has been a resident since 2000, lost her sight following a bout of acute glaucoma. She was granted leave to remain in the UK in 2022 under the long-residence immigration route.

However, the Home Office's recent decision to reject her application for indefinite leave to remain was based on an erroneous suggestion that she could receive better healthcare in India. Comfort, who has never been to India and has no connections to the country, expressed confusion over the reference in her letter. Her lawyers at Migrant and Refugee Justice have appealed for exceptional consideration, arguing that her age and disability warrant immediate indefinite leave to remain.

The Home Office has since issued a corrected letter stating that Comfort's circumstances do not warrant indefinite leave to remain in India. Comfort, who has built a life in the UK including friendships, church attendance, and voluntary work, is dismayed by the prospect of needing to renew her visa for nearly 20 more years to qualify for permanent residency.