THE public must help keep a deportation-threatened mother with her family in Scotland, an MSP says.
Olya Merry’s case has attracted the country’s attention after The National revealed the Home Office gave the 28-year-old just seven days to leave the UK under threat of deportation.
Olya, from Belarus, settled in North Lanarkshire with local-born husband Derek as they awaited the birth of daughter Milana, now two.
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The immediate threat of removal has been lifted after the Home Office put the case on pause. The decision, taken last week, allows the multi-lingual graduate to revise the presentation of her case, which was rejected by an immigration tribunal.
Yesterday, her MSP Fulton MacGregor urged Scots to back a petition urging the Home Office to “drop their threats and let Olya live in peace”.
The petition has been launched on the site of campaign organisation 38 Degrees. Its previous successes include the Tripping Up Trump campaign, which prevented the eviction of locals from their Menie homes as sought under the now-US president’s golf plan.
The Merry petition states: “Olya has followed all the advice given to her and her husband by the Home Office, and all she wants is to live with her family in Scotland.
“But now she faces deportation away from her home because of a technicality. They claim her Scottish husband didn’t do enough to make Ireland his centre of life, as per the Home Office’s advice, before coming to Scotland. They also have a two-year-old daughter, Milana, who was born in Scotland.
“Sign the petition to tell the Home Office to drop their threats and let Olya and her family live in peace. Their life is in Scotland, their child is Scotland. Don’t rip them apart.”
Commenting, Coatbridge and Chryston MSP MacGregor – who pressed the Prime Minister for action – said: “I would encourage everyone to sign the petition calling on the UK Government to allow Olya to stay at home in Coatbridge with her family.
“It’s disgraceful that petitions on situations like this are still required but the heartlessness of this Tory government seems to know no bounds and they seem only to be influenced by public pressure.
“The more people who sign, the more likely they will reverse their ridiculous decision to break up this young family.”
The plea came hours after Olya reported to immigration staff in Glasgow in the first of what will now be regular appointments. She is required to report to the centre every four weeks and officials have also requested further documentation proving her address and that supermarket worker Derek is supporting her.
The Home Office has declined to comment about the case.
If you want to sign the petition, follow this link.
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