One retired shopkeeper wey dem bin tell say im no be British even though im dey live for di UK for nearly 50 years go now stay for good, na wetin di Home Office don decide.
Nelson Shardey, wey from Wallasey in Wirral, don live for Britain since im enta di kontri as student for 1977, but for 2019 dem bin tell am say im no get right to live for di UK.
Di man wey dey 74 years , originally come from Ghana, and now dem don grant am indefinite leave to remain for di kontri afta goment say dem recognise say im case dey “exceptional”.
Dem go donate more dan £48,000 wey pipo raise towards im legal fight to charity, na wetin oga Shardey family tok.
Award for bravery
Shardey land for UK on a student visa, but one coup for Ghana mean say im family bin no fit pay im fees.
Im begin do different jobs, including making Mother’s Pride bread and Kipling Cakes near Southampton, and Bendick Chocolate for Winchester.
Im tok say nobodi eva query im right to live or work for di UK.
Im marry British woman com move to Wallasey to run im own business, one newsagent wey dem sabi as Nelson’s News.
Wen dat marriage end, im marry anoda British woman and dem get two sons, Jacob and Aaron.
Shardey say im no eva comot from di UK, as im bin no see any reason to comot and im see di place as home for am.
For 2007, dem bin give am one police award for bravery afta im tackle one robber wey bin dey attack one delivery man wit baseball bat.
But wen im bin apply for passport for 2019 so dat im fit return to Ghana afta im mama die, dem tell am say im no be British citizen.
Officials bin tell am to apply for di 10-year route to settlement wey cost about £7,000, wit anoda £10,500 ova di same period to access di NHS – di money too big for Shardey to find so e make am to lose hope.
Im case against di Home Office argue say dem suppose treat am as an exception becos im don stay for di UK for a veri long time, plus im bravery award and service to di community.
Di Home Office say di Immigration Act allow dem to use dia discretion to grant Shardey indefinite leave to remain outside di normal immigration rules.
Dem go also waive di application fee.
Shardey say im dey “overwhelmed, veri veri happy and relieved”.
“I go like to thank evribodi wey believe in us and support us in words and donations,” im tok.
Oga Shardey add say even though dem win di “battle” im and im supporters “hope to win di war, for di authorities to agree say di 10-year route na wickedness and make dem abolish am or reduce am”.
Shardey lawyer, Nicola Burgess of Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit, say di decison shock her.
“Di bravery of Nelson as im dey kwanta wit a dysfunctional immigration system na beta ginger,” Ms Burgess tok.
She beg di new goment to make di system simple to avoid “many more” like Shardey, to dey forced into “an endless cycle of applications, bureaucracy and expensive fees”.
Mr Shardey sons, Aaron and Jacob, say im victory “means di absolute world to us”.
“We dey so grateful to our legal team… and evribody wey support us… from sharing our story to donating, we no go fit thank una enough,” dem add.
Di family go donate di money dem raise to three charities: The Boaz Trust, Clatterbridge Cancer Charity and Wirral Foodbank.
One Home Office tok-tok pesin say officials bin dey work wit Mr Shardey to process im application for indefinite leave to remain.
“We apologise for any inconvenience and distress wey we cause,” di tok-tok pesin add.
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