Mum and Three Children Given 14 Days to Leave UK
A mother of three has made a desperate plea to the Home Office to prevent her family from being torn apart, as she and her children have been issued with a 14-day notice to depart the United Kingdom. Chamila Dilrakshi, a teaching assistant, and her three young children are facing removal to Sri Lanka, despite her husband being permitted to remain in the UK.
The family has resided in the UK since 2022. However, recent changes to visa regulations, implemented under the current government, have led to their impending deportation. Dilrakshi expressed her shock and distress at the directive, emphasizing that she and her children – Thedara, 12, Vivas, nine, and Hiran, eight – are being asked to leave despite having entered the country legally.
Emotional Impact on Children
“It’s a shocking moment,” Dilrakshi stated. “My children have their friends and all their relationships here. It’s a very stressful time for them. I feel like this is now my children’s home because we haven’t been to Sri Lanka since we arrived in 2022.”
She further highlighted the untenable situation: “My husband can work here and stay here, but it’s only me and my children who have to leave. So how can I separate my children from their father? It will cause harm to their mental well-being. We are legal migrants, and we have done everything correctly.”
Community Support and Political Intervention
Dilrakshi urged the Home Office to consider the contributions she and her family have made to their local community. The family’s Member of Parliament, Victoria Collins, confirmed that her office has been inundated with messages of support for Dilrakshi and her husband, Rasika Samarasinghe, 46. Collins described the couple as “pillars of the community” and expressed strong disapproval of the current immigration system’s perceived harshness.
“The community has absolutely rallied around,” Collins reported. “We talk about the need for a fair immigration system that supports our nation. This is absolutely not what this system needs to be. I have never been so angry.”
Collins, who represents Harpenden and Berkhamsted, continued to criticize the environment being created: “The Home Secretary must review how this has become a hostile environment that is pushing away people who are helping our elderly and our children. We have three wonderful children who are now thriving in this community. This is not the immigration system that supports our country, and it’s certainly not supporting our communities either.”
Visa Rule Changes and Family Separation
The family initially moved to the UK four years ago when Rasika came to pursue a Master’s degree at Northumbria University. He has since found employment as a care worker in Hertfordshire. While Rasika secured a visa sponsorship in March of this year, allowing him to remain, his family’s permission to stay was not included.
At the time of their arrival, Rasika was permitted to bring his family. However, a recent crackdown on immigration, aimed at reducing net migration, has introduced stricter rules concerning dependents. Chamila’s colleagues have publicly advocated for her to be allowed to stay, and the family is currently appealing the decision. Prior to March 2024, individuals on care worker visas could bring their partners and children to the UK. This provision was removed as part of government reforms implemented before the general election, preventing dependents from obtaining visas.
Migrant Advocacy Groups Speak Out
Messages of support shared with MP Collins have lauded Dilrakshi as a “hard-working, kind, caring person – exactly the type of person we need to be attracting to work with our young children in schools.” The messages questioned the treatment of a family that “came to the UK legally, applying correctly in advance of arriving here, following all the rules on renewing their visa when necessary, working hard, being law-abiding and contributing towards the UK economy.”
Migrant support organizations have also voiced significant concerns over the visa changes affecting care workers. Fizza Qureshi, chief executive of Migrants’ Rights Network, stated recently, “Migrant care workers continually bear the brunt of this government’s disdain for migrants. Nobody should be forced into a decision to either leave their livelihood or be separated from their families. The government really needs to grow a heart and treat migrant workers who are the foundations of our health and care systems, with more respect.”
Official Response
The Home Office has indicated that it cannot comment on individual cases. However, a spokesperson stated, “We will always welcome those who contribute to this country and wish to build a better life here. But we must restore order and control to our borders.”
The spokesperson added, “We have set out plans for the biggest legal migration reforms in a generation, addressing the challenges caused by unprecedented levels of migration under the previous government. It is a privilege, not a right, to settle in the UK, and it must be earned, rewarding contribution and those who play by the rules.”
