74-Year-Old Ghanaian faces decade-long wait for residency despite living and working in the UK for 42 years

Nelson Shardey, a 74-year-old retired Ghanaian who has lived in the UK for nearly half a century, must wait another decade before he can secure permanent residency, despite spending most of his life in the country and paying taxes throughout his adult life.

Shardey, who resides in Wallasey, Wirral, only discovered in 2019 that he was not considered a British citizen. Now, he faces substantial financial costs to remain and access healthcare in the UK.

Shardey first arrived in the UK in 1977 on a student visa to study accountancy but had to take on various jobs after a coup in Ghana cut off his financial support.

Over the years, he worked at several factories and eventually ran his own newsagent business. Despite his long tenure and contributions, including performing jury service and receiving a police bravery award, his residency status was never questioned.

In 2019, when Shardey applied for a passport to visit Ghana following his mother’s death, he was informed that he had no right to stay in the UK.

The Home Office directed him to apply for a 10-year route to settlement, typically meant for new immigrants. This route involves costs amounting to around £17,500 over the period, a sum Shardey cannot afford, especially as he is recovering from prostate cancer.

“I cannot afford to pay any part of the money they are asking. Telling me to go through that route is a punishment, and it’s not fair in any way. I don’t understand why this fuss at all, because I put my life, my whole self into this country.”

“I just thought it was a joke. It’s just ridiculous. Why would he need to go and start this 10-year route when he’s been here since 1977? He’s been here longer than the people who are working in the Home Office on his case have been alive”, said his son Jacob, who does research in cardiovascular physiology.

An error in his application process in 2021 reset his timeline, meaning he won’t be eligible for permanent residency until he is 84. This decision has left his family, particularly his sons, baffled and frustrated.

Shardey’s lawyer, Nicola Burgess from the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU), is assisting him in taking the Home Office to court.

“We know that at least one caseworker has looked at his file and suggested that he should be granted indefinite leave to remain because there are exceptional facts,” Ms Burgess said.

“And when you look at it on a personal level, if Nelson was your friend or your neighbour, you would absolutely agree that he should be given the immediate right to settle.”

She argues that due to his long residency, community service, and exceptional circumstances, he should be granted indefinite leave to remain. The Home Office has declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings.