A father whose British-born baby is being threatened with removal from the UK is urging the Home Office to be flexible with how it enforces rules on visas.
Massah, who is 13 months old, was born in the Midlands in April last year. Both her parents have been living legally in Britain since 2021 when her father came to study for a PhD from Jordan and her mother came as his dependant.
The threat to remove Massah comes after the family took a holiday abroad together in January.
Because Massah’s status wasn’t confirmed before the family left the country for the first time together, she technically re-entered the UK as a tourist and officials refuse to recognise the discrepancy.
Her parents have tried applying for a child-dependent visa for their daughter, but this month, they received a letter from the Home Office telling them their daughter “will be required to immediately leave the UK” and will have to re-apply for a visa from abroad.
The letter from the government goes on to state: “In the particular circumstances of your case, it has been concluded that the need to maintain the integrity of the immigration laws outweighs the possible effect on you/your children.”
Massah’s father, Mohammad, says he and his wife have faced sleepless nights. Despite their MP and lawyers trying to argue their case, so far they have made no further progress.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
1:57
‘What were net migration levels in 1066?’
They don’t want to have to take their baby to Jordan in order to re-apply due to the current instability in the Middle East and are concerned that, even if they did, the application could still be refused.
Mohammad tells Sky News that his daughter’s relationship with Britain will be forever changed: “I can’t imagine how I can tell her the story in the future that the country you [were] born asked you to leave while you [were] a year old.”
Advertisement
He shows us the reams of paperwork he has accumulated to find a solution.
“I’m trying to fix everything. I don’t need to consider a one-year-old infant as an overstayer here,” he said.
A Home Office spokesperson told Sky News: “All visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with the immigration rules.
“We are working closely with the parents of this child to ensure they receive the support and direction they require regarding the application.”
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The tightening of the UK’s immigration policy has been a core commitment by the government in an effort to reduce the number of people coming to the country.
Statistics released on Thursday showed the net migration figure has dropped slightly, but it comes as the prime minister confirmed that the removal of asylum seekers to Rwanda will not take place until after the general election.
The Rwanda plan remains a central Conservative pledge, but voters will just have to trust that planes will start going without seeing any evidence before polling day.
The election campaign will be fought in part over the future of asylum seekers.
At one charity in Derby, people who came to Britain by small boat arrive still wearing the clothes given to them at a processing centre near Dover.
With Labour planning to scrap flights to Rwanda, there’s now the possibility that many asylum seekers living in fear will never have to face the possibility of being removed to the African nation.
But Damil, from India, is still anxious: “Maybe after [the] election we are happy with this because the Labour Party will be our next… I don’t know what is going on.
“Still, we are worried about these things. I’m scared about Rwanda and the election too.”
One man, who we’re calling Nahom, was detained and taken to a detention centre earlier this month.
Just a few days ago, he was informed he’d been selected for the first flight to Rwanda – in June.
He spoke to us on the phone from the removal site where he had been notified “on 24 June there will be the first flight to Rwanda”.
But when we reported Thursday’s announcement by Rishi Sunak, he said the message gave him “hope” for his situation: “If the Labour Party [win] there are no flights at all… It’s good news to hear.”
Prince William has posted a picture of him and his father, King Charles, playing football to mark Father’s Day.
In the photograph, the young prince smiles as he and the future monarch stand in a garden.
The royal youngster is pictured wearing dungarees and a striped shirt, while Charles looks relaxed in a double-breasted suit jacket.
The picture of the two future kings was taken on 12 June, 1984 in the gardens of Kensington Palace.
Later that same year William would gain a younger brother, with the Duke of Sussex born in September.
As well as marking Father’s Day, the football-themed image is perhaps a nod to England’s opening match in the Euros, which takes place on Sunday night.
Gareth Southgate has said he “expects everybody to enjoy the football” when asked about the heightened security risk of England’s opening Euros match against Serbia.
The England manager was responding to a question at a pre-match news conference on Saturday about the decision to ramp up security measures for today’s game in Gelsenkirchen.
Asked for his message to supporters, he said: “I expect everybody to enjoy the football.
“I’ve been fortunate to be involved in a lot of tournaments, and travel to tournaments I’ve not been directly involved in.
“They’re great carnivals of football – an opportunity to see a different part of the world and meet people from other parts of the world, have a brilliant time, so I’m sure everybody is coming to do that.”
He added: “I hope the whole of Europe can come together for the brilliant game that we’re involved in and support their team.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
2:40
England-Serbia match ‘high risk’
Officials have designated England’s opening fixture as a “high-risk” event, with fans served lower-alcohol beer in the stadium and banned from drinking in the stands.
More than 300,000 British fans are travelling to Germanyfor Euro 2024, making it their highest attendance since Euro 2016 in France.
Policing the first game has been made more challenging by UEFAasking for the barriers to be removed inside the stadium, with both sides being seated closer together, and two-thirds of tickets going to mixed areas.
Advertisement
Southgate ‘relaxed’ that this is likely his final Euros
Entering his fourth tournament as England manager, Gareth Southgate is looking to the future.
There is 20-year-old Jude Bellingham being appointed to the leadership group.
A squad with only half its players retained from the 2022 World Cup.
And the manager himself is looking at a time when the Three Lions dugout is filled by someone else.
“I hate to put pressure on all the coaches,” the 53-year-old said. “But it could be the last tournament for all of them.”
Read more from Rob here
German police Chief Inspector Christof Burghardt told Sky News previously: “I think it’s a very high-risk game because of the history, because of the hooligans both sides have.
“Serbia has many hooligans. The English guys, with alcohol, they are sometimes very aggressive. So it’s a great job to do this, to prepare, so that hopefully nothing will happen.”
Footballing deaths a ‘great shock’
At the joint news conference with captain Harry Kane on Saturday, Southgate was also asked about the deaths announced today of two footballing figures – former Arsenal and Everton star Kevin Campell and Millwall and Montenegro goalkeeper Matija Sarkic.
Southgate said “both pieces of news were received with shock and great sadness”, acknowledging that the England players who have played with Sarkic are “feeling that even more”.
He recalled playing with Campbell, who died aged 54, at Arsenal, describing him as a “hugely popular man”.
“Kevin was the same age as me… his son has been in our junior pathway as well. Our thoughts are very much with his family at this time,” he said.
Both men said they are expecting Sunday’s game to be a challenge.
Kane told reporters: “We’re expecting a really tough game.”
Southgate added: “There are a lot of good teams in this tournament and we have to be exceptional to progress, firstly through the group, and then to have the opportunity to go further.”
Entering his fourth tournament as England manager, Gareth Southgate is looking to the future.
There is 20-year-old Jude Bellingham being appointed to the leadership group.
A squad with only half its players retained from the 2022 World Cup.
And the manager himself is looking at a time when the Three Lions dugout is filled by someone else.
“I hate to put pressure on all the coaches,” the 53 year old said. “But it could be the last tournament for all of them.
“So this is the world we’re in. I’m probably more relaxed about it because I’ve been to three. I know exactly what it involves, I know the events you have to deal with.”
Events that begin on Sunday night in Gelsenkirchen with their Euro 2024 group opener against Serbia.
It is three years since they went all the way in the competition – reaching the final at Wembley only to lose in the shootout to Italy.
Since then there has been Qatar, where England couldn’t make it to the last-four as they did at the 2018 World Cup – losing the quarter-final to France.
Advertisement
It could be France posing the greatest threat again, although hosts Germany were formidable in the 5-1 humbling of Scotland in the Euros curtain-raiser on Friday night.
What chance is there of a first trophy for England’s men since 1966?
“We’ve earned the right to be, I guess, classed as one of the favourites,” captain Harry Kane said.
“Ultimately, we’re here to win it. And there will be nothing better for us and the nation itself if we do that.”
It would be a first career trophy for Kane whose move to Germany in the last year, to play for Bayern Munich, has unexpectedly not produced silverware for the former Tottenham striker.
“I think winning a major tournament with England would be one of the pinnacles of anyone’s career so that is the aim,” he said.
“For me personally, the trophies haven’t quite happened yet but it just makes me more determined and hungry to go out there and do that.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
1:18
Kane and Southgate talk ahead of first match
And no player scored more goals in Europe last season than Kane – netting 44 times in all competitions.There was an impressive debut season with an England teammate – Bellingham scoring 23 goals for Real Madrid when not even a centre forward and only just out of his teens.
Now the prolific duo are linking up again for their country.
Kane said: “I think we complement each other really well. Whether one of us is dropping deep, the other one running in behind and vice versa.
“So an amazing player to play with. He likes to get in the box, he likes to affect games and score goals, which is always important for an attacking midfielder.
“So I think the more we train with each other, the more we play with each other, hopefully that relationship can get even stronger. But it’s so strong already.”
Southgate has also brought Bellingham into the leadership group with Kane, midfielder Declan Rice and defender Kyle Walker.
“There’s a different dynamic to this group,” Southgate said. “There’s a lot of younger players, and I want to make sure that the voices of the younger players, that I’m really in touch with that as well.
“So I don’t want to leave here with any stone unturned. I don’t want to have missed anything.
“And, it’s always important to know what the players are thinking. They have good views. They have good experiences.
“And also, there will be some decisions that I will take without talking to any of them.”