Baby girl born in the UK faces being deported after she was taken abroad by her parents before her status was confirmed – meaning she re-entered as a tourist
- Massah was born in Britain last April to Jordanian parents
A British-born girl faces deportation after being taken abroad by her parents before her status was confirmed – meaning she would re-enter the country as a tourist.
Massah, who is 13 months old, was born in the Midlands in April last year to parents originally from Jordan.
Her father came to Britain in 2021 to pursue his PhD, while her mother joined him as a dependent.
However, when the family went abroad together for the first time in January, Massah’s status had not yet been confirmed and so she technically re-entered the country as a tourist.
Now Massah’s parents have received a letter from the Home Office stating that their daughter ‘will have to leave Britain immediately’, Sky News has reported.
Massah (pictured), who is 13 months old, was born in the Midlands in April last year to parents originally from Jordan
The couple have also been told that they will have to reapply for a visa to Jordan and that the need to “maintain the integrity of immigration laws outweighs any potential consequences for you/your children.”
The threat of deportation comes despite the couple trying to apply for a child-dependent visa to Massah from Britain.
Massah’s father, Mohammad, said he has had sleepless nights over his daughter’s visa situation and has tried to engage his MP, but they have made no progress so far.
The couple is concerned about returning to Jordan due to the current instability in the Middle East and fears that Massah’s visa will still be refused.
Mohammad told Sky News: ‘I can’t imagine how I can tell her the story in the future that the country where you [were] Born asked you to leave while you [were] one year old.
‘I’m trying to solve everything. I don’t need to consider a one-year-old baby here as overstayed.”
A Home Office spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘All visa applications are carefully assessed on their individual merits, in accordance with immigration rules.
‘We are working closely with the parents of this child to ensure they receive the support and guidance they need with their application.’
The couple have been told they must reapply for a visa to Jordan and that the need to “maintain the integrity of immigration laws outweighs any potential consequences for you/your children.”
The threat of deportation comes as the government vowed to curb legal and illegal immigration to Britain.
Figures released on Thursday show that overall net migration fell slightly.
Net migration – the number of people moving to Britain minus those leaving – fell from a record 764,000 in 2022 to 685,000, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows.
Experts said this was driven by fewer foreign students arriving and more people emigrating, but noted that immigration remains “unusually high” and above pre-Covid levels.
Further falls are expected this year after ministers limited the number of family members migrants can bring to live with them.
However, Rishi Sunak has said the first flights to Rwanda will not take place until after the general election on July 4.