Hertfordshire MP calling for "urgent" Home Office review for Sri Lankan family facing separation
The Home Office told a mother and her three children they must leave within 14 days
The MP for Harpenden and Berkhamsted, is calling for an urgent review by the Home Office after a local Sri Lankan family received letters mandating the mother and three children to leave the UK within 14 days.
The news has stirred significant concern among local residents, as the family is widely recognised for their hard work and community involvement.
The Government says “the privilege of living here forever should be earned, not automatic”.
Dozens of supportive neighbours and colleagues have contacted Liberal Democrat MP Victoria Collins, expressing their distress over the potential separation of the family, who they describe as valuable members of the community.
"This family is, in all honesty, one of the nicest you could ever meet. They are incredibly hard-working, very involved in the community, and would do anything for anyone," one resident shared.
Another neighbour added, "From the minute they arrived in this country, they have worked every hour they can and done everything legally and by the book."
The family’s father serves as a care worker, while the mother works as a teaching assistant at a local primary school.
Their three children, aged 12, nine, and eight, are integrated into local schools, and the family actively participates in community and church life.
The Home Office has informed the family that the mother and children must leave the country, as their status can no longer be considered dependent on the father's visa.
Victoria Collins MP said: “I am shocked and horrified by this and deeply concerned for this family. The parents are working on the front line in care and teaching, whilst being active members of their local community.
“Their children are settled in local schools and have built their lives here. To now face separation and uncertainty is deeply distressing. Residents are also horrified to hear about what’s happening.”
The Liberal Democrat has urgently raised the case with the Home Office Minister, “to ensure their case is properly reviewed and that the family's circumstances are fully considered”.
A government spokesperson said: “We will always welcome those that come to this country and contribute to our national life. But the privilege of living here forever should be earned, not automatic.
“But between 2021 and 2024, this country experienced levels of migration it had historically seen over four decades.
“We must be honest about the scale and impact of hundreds of thousands of low-skilled migrants getting settlement.
“The Government will double the route to settlement from five to 10 years. As announced in November, we are consulting to apply this change to those in the UK today but have not received settled status. We are currently reviewing the 200,000 responses and will outline our response in due course.”