A
Nigerian woman who said she would die within weeks from kidney failure if she
were deported has won her battle to stay in the UK.
Roseline
Akhalu, a 49-year-old community volunteer, came to the UK in 2004 to study at
Leeds University. She was diagnosed with kidney failure shortly after she
arrived.
She
developed end-stage renal failure in 2005 and remained on dialysis until she
had a successful transplant in 2009.
However,
Akhalu now needs regular hospital checks and has to take immunosuppressant
drugs for the rest of her life.
She
applied for leave to stay in the UK but was refused by the home secretary.
Her
doctor, James Tattershall, said
that if Akhalu were deported, she would be unable to continue taking the drugs
as they are expensive or unavailable in parts of Nigeria.
Without
access to treatment, Akhalu would die, Tattershall said.
Rightly overturned
A
campaign was launched to help Akhalu stay in the UK and Judge Saffer mentioned
the petition, community support and media attention in his high court ruling.
The
judge said the deportation of Akhalu would breach her right to a private and
family life, saying she had established a private life of value to her, local
church members and the wider community.
He said
home secretary Theresa May should have granted her leave to remain in the UK.
Following
the ruling, Akhalu said: "I am very pleased and relieved by the judgment.
I would like to say I am immensely grateful to all who have helped me in this
struggle to get leave to remain."
Tessa
Gregory, Roseline's solicitor at Public Interest Lawyer, said: "We
are delighted by the ruling. Roseline is a respected and very popular member of
her community and is an asset to this country.
"The
home secretary's decision that Roseline should be deported to Nigeria where she
would die within four weeks was unlawful and inhumane and has rightly been
overturned."
Greg
Mullholland, MP for Leeds North West, where Akhalu lives, added: "It
is fantastic news that a judge has today upheld Roseline's appeal. It has been
a long drawn out campaign and a deeply distressing time for Roseline and those
close to her.
"I
hope the Home Office now see sense and allows Roseline to remain in the
country. It would be a serious misuse of the public purse to appeal this
decision given the evidence that has been presented."
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