AN elderly Iranian couple who faced being thrown out of Scotland and being separated from their extended family have now been told that they can remain in the UK.
Mozaffar Saberi, 83, and his 73-year-old wife Rezvan Habibimarand, who have lived in Edinburgh on and off since the late 1970s, were granted leave to remain last night after their case was raised in the House of Commons and more than 127,000 people signed a petition supporting their fight to stay.
The couple have four children, 11 grandchildren and a great-grandchild who are all British citizens. They also look after a severely autistic grandson to allow his mother to carry on her work as an NHS nurse.
John Vassiliou, the couple’s lawyer, said last night he was delighted to advise that the Home Office had confirmed the couple could remain.
However he was critical at the “eye-watering” fees they would have to pay for the privilege.
He said: “If Home Office application fees remain at their current levels, the couple will be faced with the following costs (excluding legal fees) over the duration of their future visa journey: £1033 UKVI fee + £1000 Immigration Health Surcharge fee per person per application; They will need to pay this for their next three visa renewal applications to get themselves up to the ten year mark. Total cost (excluding initial visa application in October 2016) by year 10: (2033 x 2) x 3 = £12,198.
“Then the applications for indefinite leave to remain will cost them £2389 per person (£4778).
“Grand total to indefinite leave to remain: an eye-watering £16,976.
“If they want to go on and apply for British citizenship a year after that? Add a further £1330 per person. That brings the total up to £19,636, just shy of £20,000. And this does not account for the annual Home Office fee increases.
“This is the price of a human rights visa … the above calculation actually excludes the price of Mr Saberi and Mrs Habibimarand’s application in October 2016 on which this Home Office decision is predicated – that cost £2,622 combined excluding legal fees – and this is the price that all those granted leave to remain in the UK on human rights grounds must face.
“This cost is under-reported in the media and is worthy of attention, particularly when set against the recent uproar over the £65 EU settled status fee. Over the last few years, costs have risen to a level tantamount to binding “successful” applicants to ten years of indentured servitude to the Home Office; all in the name of continuing to remain in the UK after it has already been accepted that their removal would breach the UK’s human rights obligations.”
A Home Office spokesperson confirmed: “Following a review of the case, during which supplementary evidence was provided and considered, Mr Saberi and Mrs Habibimarand have been granted 30 months' leave to remain.”
Writing on Facebook, their son Navid Saberi said: “You did it folks, you did it, thank you does not sound/feel enough but thank you. My parents will not be deported, just received the confirmation. Thank you for all your efforts, likes, shares and signatures.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel