{"id":13961,"date":"2018-03-31T09:09:27","date_gmt":"2018-03-31T13:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=13961"},"modified":"2018-03-31T09:09:27","modified_gmt":"2018-03-31T13:09:27","slug":"man-who-moved-from-antigua-59-years-ago-told-he-is-in-uk-illegally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/man-who-moved-from-antigua-59-years-ago-told-he-is-in-uk-illegally\/","title":{"rendered":"Man who moved from Antigua 59 years ago told he is in UK illegally"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(The Guardian)<\/p>

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A man who has lived in Britain for almost 60 years has been told by the Home Office he is in the UK illegally.<\/p>\n

Elwaldo Romeo moved from Antigua to the UK when he was four, 59 years ago, and has lived and worked here continuously ever since.<\/p>

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He was extremely distressed to receive a Home Office letter earlier this month informing him that he was \u201cliable to be detained\u201d because he was a \u201cperson without leave\u201d.<\/p>

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The letter continued: \u201cYou have NOT been given leave to enter the United Kingdom within the meaning of the Immigration Act 1971.\u201d<\/p>\n

He has been told to report fortnightly to Home Office premises. The letter also offered advice on \u201chelp and support on returning home voluntarily\u201d.<\/p>

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Romeo, 63, has no desire to be helped to return to a country he has not visited for more than half a century, where he has no close family. Given that all his schooling was in London, he studied at college here, has worked here for more than 40 years, has held a British passport, owns his own home in London, and has two adult British children and five British grandchildren, he cannot understand why the Home Office has classified him as someone who is here illegally.<\/p>\n

He reported in person for the first time to the Home Office on Tuesday, but there was official confusion about who he was and where his papers were and he was told to report again in two weeks\u2019 time. Until the situation is resolved, he remains worried that immigration officials may visit him at home and remove him to a detention centre. He has tried repeatedly to call the number printed on the Home Office letter, but it is never answered.<\/p>

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