A family fear their 70-year-old grandmother could be taken from them at any moment, after being “left in the dark” by the Home Office over her deportation.
Valentyna Yakovleva has called Tayport home for more than a decade, helping raise her grandchildren and living peacefully in the seaside Fife village with her naturalised daughter and son-in-law.
Despite her age, health problems and lack of resources, the Home Office intends to send Mrs Yakovleva back to the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, close to the Russian border, where she has no family.
The Lib Dems have called for a stop to deportations as the coronavirus rages on, in the wake of Mrs Yakovleva’s ordeal.
Her son-in-law, Dr Andrij Sukhodub, said his family have resigned themselves to her being deported, and pleaded with authorities to at least let her have a coronavirus vaccine before she is taken away.
“The virus is completely out of control in Ukraine, and any money she would be entitled to, like state pension, is lost,” he said.
“We have engaged in every step with the Home Office, they have been particularly blunt in their response. They have shown little understanding to our situation. They said because she was over the age of 18, she was not dependent. Of course she is over 18, she is my children’s grandmother.
“There is a great risk in sending her back to Kharkiv. It is entirely unlikely she will have access to her pension and if she did, it would not cover her bills.
“She has no-one else in the world and we have been left completely in the dark.”
Put a ‘stop to deportations’
North East Fife MP Wendy Chamberlain has raised Mrs Yakovleva’s plight with the Home Office.
The Lib Dem has called for all deportations to be stopped while the pandemic rages on, and questioned the priorities of the UK Government during this global health crisis.
The UK Government should be fully focused on fighting the virus… not deporting 70-year-old grandmothers to countries where they no longer have any family.”
Lib Dem MP Wendy Chamberlain
She said: “I disagree with the Home Office decision to deport Valentyna and I think many will agree that deportations are the wrong priority for any government in the middle of a pandemic.
“All parts of the UK Government should be fully focused on fighting the virus, administering the vaccine roll out and supporting our recovery, not deporting 70-year-old grandmothers to countries where they no longer have any family.
“Valentyna has made her life here in the UK for a decade, helping raise her grandchildren and caring for her family here.
“While I would like to see the Home Office allow her to stay permanently, the least they could is allow her and others in her situation to stay until the pandemic is over while the government has more important things to attend to.”
Long-running saga
Mrs Yakovleva was granted several visitor visas between 2001 and 2011 but her application for Indefinite Leave to Remain on compassionate grounds was rejected in late 2011.
She tried again in 2014 under 10-Year Family and Private Life conditions but was again refused with no right of appeal.
In September 2015 she was served with a notice stating she was a person liable for removal as an “overstayer” and despite another application for Leave to Remain under the European Convention on Human Rights, she was again refused and served with another notice.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Not all removals are enforced. The Home Office operates the Voluntary Returns Service (VRS) as we recognise there will be people who have no right to remain in the UK who wish to return to their home country, but who need assistance to do so depending on their personal circumstances. In these circumstances we work with the individual to return them to their home country.”