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EXCLUSIVE The Australian boyfriend of a pregnant horse riding instructor who faced the loss of the birth of her son amid a deportation queue will remain in the UK after Home Office U-turn
- Sophie Seymour’s Australian boyfriend was in a Home Office deportation queue
- James Sheppard broke the rules when he left the country for a work trip in Germany
- But a U-turn means Sophie will be able to give birth with James there next month.
Head office bosses who left a pregnant riding instructor facing the possibility of giving birth on her own have backed down a deportation queue with her Australian boyfriend.
Sophie Seymour, 27, who is due to give birth next month, broke down in tears after authorities ruled that her partner, James Sheppard, 44, had unknowingly violated rules allowing her to stay when he left the country. for a work trip.
Horse dentist James, who has lived in Britain for over 12 years and pays UK tax, applied for indefinite leave to stay in June and paid a fee of £6,000 and passed his ‘Life in the UK’ exam ‘.
But after the heads of the Ministry of the Interior discovered that he had left the country in the summer for a work trip to Germany, they withdrew his application and ordered him to make a new application or face deportation.
Sophie, who runs a horse training business in Wantage, Oxfordshire, posted her dilemma on Facebook and the post quickly went viral with thousands of people sharing her desperate story.
Sophie Seymour, 27, was facing giving birth alone next month after Home Office officials ruled her partner James Sheppard, 44, had breached the rules allowing her to stay here.
The pregnant riding instructor broke down in tears after authorities ruled that her partner had broken the rules by leaving the country.
Speaking ahead of the Home Office’s last-minute U-shift, he tearfully told MailOnline: “I don’t understand how these people can be so ruthless.” They just refuse to come to their senses and I’m eight months pregnant.
“The application to stay was made in June and we paid £6,000 for it in good faith and took the advice of lawyers on how to get the process right and James even took his own life on the UK exam and passed.
“We were looking forward to the baby’s birth when suddenly last week the Home Office got in touch and said that because James had left the country on a business trip, the application was null and void. .
“They said I would have to reapply, pay another £6,000 that we just don’t have lying around or I would be deported at the end of the week.
‘I tried to explain that IU was pregnant and that I would really like the father of my child to be present at the birth, but they just wouldn’t listen. They were so cruel and indifferent.
She works very hard and the money she earns on her business trips abroad is paid in UK tax as she has since she came and started working here 12 years ago.
Horse dentist James, who has lived in Britain for over 12 years and pays UK tax, applied for indefinite leave to stay in June and paid a fee of £6,000 and passed his ‘Life in the UK’ exam “.
The Home Office told James they are willing to reinstate his application and will update him next week.
You have contributed positively to this country and you are not a free burden on anyone, you are working hard to take care of me and your unborn child and that is how we are treated.
“As part of the application, he had to hand over his passport and when we received it, they didn’t tell him that he couldn’t leave the country, so he kept working and went on a trip to Germany.
“Her lawyer also didn’t say she couldn’t leave the country, so she had no idea that by doing so she was jeopardizing her application, but I can’t believe the Home Office was so willing to let me have my son in my possession. and deport him.’
Sophie added: “When I put my story on Facebook, I had no idea how much interest it would generate. My inbox has been flooded with messages of support and it shows how supportive people are.”
After the news of the change of tact from the Home Office, Sophie said: “I’m so happy, I’m crying tears of joy.” The fact that the Home Office wanted to deport James and leave me to face the birth of my son was an outrage. They just didn’t care.
But now they have said that given the circumstances we find ourselves in, they are willing to reinstate his application and will let us know next week.
“I’m pretty sure the U-turn wasn’t due to circumstance, but due to the huge amount of publicity my post received on social media, but I’m sorry to others whose voices haven’t been heard and my heat breaks for they”. .
‘The immigration system needs to change and we hope our story helps.’