THE husband of a South African café owner told to leave her Scottish island life by the Home Office has written a heartfelt letter to the community for its support.
More than 5200 people have joined the call to let Lizanne Zietsman stay in Arran with partner John Malpas.
READ MORE: Home Office tells Arran businesswoman Lizanne Zietsman to leave UK
The National has revealed how the pair face separation after officials rejected her bid to remain in the home they have shared for years and continue running their popular food business, The Sandwich Station.
As friends petition the Home Secretary for action, Malpas has thanked the community for its ongoing support:
"My wife and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the community of Arran for the overwhelming show of support following a particularly cruel and counterproductive decision by the Home Office to refuse the renewal of my wife’s UK visa.
"For those of you who do not know the circumstances of this decision please allow me to give you a little background. I am a British citizen and my family have had both a house and strong community ties in Corrie since the 1950’s. I met my wife Lizanne in 2006 while we were both working for the much missed Creelers restaurant and quickly fell in love. Lizanne was born in Zimbabwe but due to the much publicized political troubles had to renounce her citizenship and obtain a South African passport in her early childhood. After our first summer together I decided to join her on her return to Africa where we spent many happy years running safari lodges in Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania. Eventually the stresses of Africa and the lack of security of any potential investment we might make there led us to the decision to leave. In 2015 we came back to Arran for a short break to clear our heads and figure out our next move but we quickly fell back in love with the island and its people, within a very short time it felt like we had never left.
"Roll on a year and we were fortunate enough to be able to put all of our savings into the acquisition of the Sandwich Station in Lochranza where many of you have met my wife and occasionally me when I am not hiding in the kitchen dreaming up obscure sandwich fillings! Since taking the shop on the business has gone from strength to strength, we had to become VAT registered early last year and everything continues to grow. We have a symbiotic relationship with many other businesses on Arran, particularly George Grassie at the fantastic Blackwater Bakehouse who supplies us with vast quantities of world class breads.
"On Wednesday 19th June this whole dream came crashing down when we received a communication from the Home Office stating that Lizanne’s visa renewal had been refused, she must cease working immediately, she must leave the country and that she did not have the right of appeal within the UK. Words really cannot express the shock, pain and anger that one feels when the person you love and spend every minute with is torn away from you, even now I find it very difficult to talk about without falling to pieces.
"We do however have to put emotions aside and concentrate on the most important task at hand; reestablishing Lizanne’s immigration status in the country. Assisting us with this campaign is our MP Patricia Gibson who has been hugely supportive but she needs all of your help. Everyone who wishes to can write to Patricia at her constituency office so that she has sufficient ammunition to use when she goes to Westminster, I know many of you have done this already and for this I am very grateful. Lizanne has to leave on July 12th making this issue extremely urgent.
"Thanks are also in order for the thousands who have signed the 38degrees online petition, I feel proud to live in a country where people truly care about each other, there is a bright future if compassion is the basis of all decision making.
"Finally, Lizanne and I would like to thank all of our friends in this special community who have worked tirelessly to help us with no regard to their own lives, without you we could not manage, we love you all and feel privileged to know you, THANK YOU!
"Yours sincerely, John Malpas"
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