A 63-year-old disabled Nigerian man, Anthony Olubunmi George, has won his appeal to remain in the United Kingdom after almost four decades of uncertainty, despite attempts by the Home Office to deport him.
George arrived in the UK in 1986 at the age of 24 and has lived there ever since without any criminal record. His life took a difficult turn after suffering two strokes in 2019, which left him with mobility and speech problems. He has also endured years of homelessness, relying on friends for shelter, and says he has no close family left in Nigeria.
Speaking after the tribunal’s ruling, George expressed relief: “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 legal struggles were worsened in 2005 when his former solicitors submitted a forged passport stamp without his knowledge, an act later discovered and reported to authorities. The tribunal judge noted that the solicitor had since been struck off, describing George’s long ordeal as a result of both poor legal representation and his vulnerable condition.
The Home Office had previously argued that his family and friends could visit him in Nigeria, but the court sided with George, highlighting his ill health, lack of family support back home, and years of destitution.
His lawyer, Naga Kandiah of MTC Solicitors, praised the ruling, stating: “My client has been living in limbo for almost 40 years. He has suffered two strokes, has no family left in Nigeria, and was let down by former solicitors who failed to uphold professional integrity. I am overjoyed with the decision. He has waited for it for almost four decades.”
The ruling has brought George a renewed sense of hope, ending years of fear and uncertainty about his future in the UK.