UK Home Office Tells Blind Nigerian Pensioner to Return to India

A 67-year-old Nigerian woman residing in the United Kingdom for 26 years has been told by the Home Office that she can safely return to India. The woman, identified as Comfort, arrived in the country in 2000 and subsequently lost her sight due to acute glaucoma. While many people search for information regarding a Nigerian Indian connection, this case highlights a significant administrative blunder involving a resident with no ties to the South Asian nation.

Comfort was previously granted leave to remain under long residence rules after living in the UK for two decades. Under current regulations, she is required to renew her visa every 30 months for a 10-year period before becoming eligible for indefinite leave to remain. Following recent policy changes announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, advocates suggest Comfort may now face an additional 20-year wait, meaning she would not qualify for permanent settlement until her 80s.

The Home Office mistakenly told a blind Nigerian woman to return to India, a country she has never visited.

Lawyers at Refugee and Migrant Justice applied for fast-tracked indefinite leave to remain, citing her age and disability as exceptional circumstances. The Home Office rejected the request, stating in part that she could return to Nigeria, but concluded the document by claiming her circumstances were not severe enough to warrant settlement in India. Home Office sources have since confirmed that corrective action is being taken to re-issue an updated letter.

Concerns Over Settlement Rules

Migrants’ rights organizations have expressed alarm over the new, more stringent settlement timelines. Freedom of information data indicates that many elderly applicants may not survive the required wait times. One case cited involves a 103-year-old woman from Pakistan who would not be eligible for settlement until she reaches 123. Nick Beales of Migrant and Refugee Justice criticized the government’s focus on appearing tough, noting that decision-makers failed to distinguish between Nigeria and India.

Comfort, who engages in voluntary work and is active in her church, expressed deep disappointment at the prospect of waiting two more decades for security. A Home Office spokesperson stated that all applications are considered on their individual merits in line with existing immigration rules.

Why it matters

The case underscores the growing tension surrounding the UK’s "earned settlement" model. For many long-term residents, including those from India and other nations, the extended wait times create significant uncertainty and potential hardship.

This policy shift disproportionately affects elderly migrants, as the increased duration for settlement eligibility may effectively prevent some individuals from ever achieving permanent status in the country they have called home for decades.