A 63-year-old Nigerian living with disability, Anthony Olubunmi George, has won his appeal to remain in the United Kingdom after almost four decades in the country.
George, who arrived in the UK in 1986 at the age of 24, has never returned to Nigeria and has no criminal record.
He suffered two strokes in 2019 that left him with speech and mobility challenges.
He told the tribunal that he had endured years of homelessness and relied on friends for shelter.
George had made several applications for leave to remain in the UK, all of which were rejected by the Home Office.
His legal troubles worsened in 2005 when his former solicitors submitted a forged entry stamp in his passport without his knowledge.
The solicitor involved has since been struck off, and the case was reported to the police and legal regulatory bodies.
The immigration judge who ruled in his favour noted that George had refrained from going to his GP because of fears about his immigration status, a decision which preceded his two cardiovascular attacks.
The judge also described him as destitute while in the UK.
“I don’t know how many different sofas I’ve slept on, too many to count,” he said, adding that he no longer has any close family in Nigeria.
“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.” he said after the ruling.
Reacting to the judgment, his lawyer, Naga Kandiah of MTC Solicitors, said: “My client has been living in limbo for almost 40 years, has suffered two strokes and has no family left in Nigeria. His situation is not just because of Home Office policies, but also because of poor representation by previous solicitors who failed to uphold professional integrity and ethical standards.
“Despite our several applications to the Home Office to review the matter rather than proceeding to an oral hearing, our attempts were refused again and again and the case went to a full court hearing. I am overjoyed with the decision. He has waited for it for almost four decades.”