A 63-year-old disabled Nigerian man who has lived in the United Kingdom for almost 40 years has won his appeal against deportation, securing the right to remain in the country after years of legal battles and uncertainty.
Anthony Olubunmi George arrived in Britain in 1986 at the age of 24 and has never returned to Nigeria. Despite having no criminal record, he spent decades fighting to resolve his immigration status. His ordeal was compounded by two strokes in 2019, which left him with speech and mobility difficulties.
George, who has experienced long periods of homelessness, said he has relied on the generosity of friends for shelter. With no close family left in Nigeria, he told the tribunal he feared being forced to return to a country where he had no support system.
“I don’t know how many different sofas I’ve slept on, too many to count,” he said. “I’m so happy I don’t know what to say. My life has just begun again. Before I didn’t have hope, but now by God’s grace I can move forward with my life.”
His case was further complicated when former solicitors submitted a forged passport entry stamp in 2005 without his knowledge. The solicitor responsible has since been struck off, and the matter reported to police and regulatory authorities.
In rejecting earlier applications, the Home Office had argued that George’s friends and relatives could visit him in Nigeria. But in his ruling, the immigration tribunal judge noted George’s ill health, lack of family ties in Nigeria, and years of destitution in Britain. The judge also highlighted that George had avoided GP visits due to fears over his precarious immigration status, a decision that may have worsened his health.
George’s lawyer, Naga Kandiah of MTC Solicitors, said the case exposed both the harshness of Home Office policies and the failures of previous legal representatives.
“My client has been living in limbo for almost 40 years, has suffered two strokes, and has no family left in Nigeria,” Kandiah said. “This situation arose not only because of government policies but also due to solicitors who failed to uphold professional integrity. Despite our repeated efforts to have the case reviewed, the Home Office refused and forced it into a full court hearing. I am overjoyed with the decision. He has waited for it for almost four decades.”
