Home Office admits Lanarkshire woman threatened with deportation ‘in error’

The threat of deportation was issued by mistake to a woman in North Lanarkshire, the Home Office has admitted.

Volha Merry, who is married to a Scot and has a two-year-old daughter, was told to leave the UK in April or face deportation.

The case was paused after several politicians drew attention to it, including External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop and local Labour MP Hugh Gaffney.

Immigration minister Caroline Noakes has now said the deportation notice was issued by mistake.

In a letter to Gaffney, Noakes said: “The Home Office apologises for issuing this notice in error; it will now be withdrawn and the reporting conditions set upon Mrs Merry will be cancelled.”

Belarus is not in the EU, but Volha and Derek Merry moved to Ireland to gain residency rights under EEA regulations. There is a question over her residency status after they moved back to Scotland to have their child.

Derek Merry told the BBC: "We're very pleased, but the whole residence thing is still being reviewed. They're sticking to their guns that she shouldn't get her residency card.

"So we are relieved, but we still have a lot to do to get her status sorted out."

Gaffney said: “The important thing is that this Coatbridge family will not be broken up, however this error suggests a horrifying level of either incompetence or indifference in the Home Office.

“This family chose to make Coatbridge their home.  While it is wonderful news that they will remain together, something is clearly rotten in the Home Office. 

“I have tabled questions to the Immigration minister asking for a review to be conducted on how many of these bogus notices have been issued.

“Sajid Javid clearly has his work cut out changing the culture of the Home Office – a culture of fear and hostility created by the Prime Minister.”

Labour is attempting to force the publication of Home Office documents relating to the creation of hostile environment for immigrants which led to many British citizens facing deportations and detentions.