And that turned out to have gone wrong, the British broadcaster BBC describes, leaving them this autumn was stopped at the airport when she returned from a family visit in France. She was eventually allowed to enter the country on a tourist visa and return to her own home.
Not welcome
Until Brexit, every EU citizen could live in the United Kingdom, but after the British withdrawal from the EU in January 2020, foreigners were in principle no longer welcome. Anyone who could prove that they had lived legally in England continuously for more than five years could apply for status, and Zarcone did just that.
She blindly assumed that her application would be approved, because her family’s had all been approved as well. After all, she had lived legally in the country for 42 years – more than half of her life.
Ask for ‘more evidence’
But that turned out not to be the case. The official handling the application had asked her to provide ‘more evidence’. He did this by e-mail, while 74-year-old Zarcone has no idea how her computer works. When her son went to look, he found the email in question in the junk folder, but the deadline had long since passed. Submitting a new application was not possible.
Meanwhile, her tourist visa had expired. Soon a letter arrived on her doorstep warning her of the consequences of ‘illegally staying in the United Kingdom’. She is in danger of being deported from the country, while her children and grandchildren all live in England. “My roots are here, my family lives here. It’s scary,” she told the BBC.
The family has now hired a lawyer.
2023-12-08 18:02:48
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