BAPIO is aware that many elderly and lonely parents of Indian doctors are not allowed to remain with their sons/daughters working in the NHS. This is very unfortunate and inhumane situation. BAPIO has already supported the petition https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/185283
Mr Shashi Garg has now taken this humanitarian issue for the Judicial review. Dr Ramesh Mehta, BAPIO President said “This is a crucial battle for an important cause. Parents sacrifice their life bringing up their children. When they are old and in need of support, unfair British immigration rules stop them to come and live with their tax paying children. This must be unacceptable”. “I have personally contributed to this cause and I appeal to all my colleagues to do the same”
Link for the story is crowd justice – https://www.crowdjustice.org/case/mothers-plea-to-stay-with-son/
www.crowdjustice.org
CrowdJustice is a crowdfunding platform that enables individuals, groups and communities to come together to fund legal action.
The Shashi Garg Story:
I, Shashi Garg, and my wife and children are British citizens. We are raising funds to cover litigation costs for my mother, Ratna Garg who is 83, widowed, disabled and suffering from dementia and other major ill-health. She is fighting for leave to remain in the UK with us, her caring family, as there is no one willing or able to do so with the same dedicated care in India.
All parents have the right to enjoy support from their children when they are retired and finding it difficult and lonely to cope with ageing issues. Not allowing our parents to come to UK is to take away their rights to live with their children in their old age.
I live and work in Oxford with my family. I have a PhD and a Masters from the UK, and am married to Manvi who is also a stroke survivor of 19 years. My daughter Neha is married (living in London) and has just had a son 10 months ago, who has given my mother a new lease of life.
Litigation Process and Costs
I applied on behalf of my mother, and the Home Office denied her leave to remain in the UK with her family under exceptional circumstances with no attention to expert reports and overwhelming evidence of her needs for family care. She was given no right to appeal at all. We undertook a judicial review, and have now been granted permission.
I am now raising money to fund the litigation costs for either a full Judicial Review of the original refusal of her application or to conduct an appeal. So far I have funded the litigation costs out of my own pocket. However, with the estimate of increased costs of litigation for a long and expensive full Judicial review process ahead of us, this is getting more and more un-affordable.
I believe this case is important as it highlights the lack of rights and dignity given to elderly non-British parents of British citizens and tax-payers who serve the UK. Winning this case will prove to be a landmark as to the family rights of elderly people with British children. Therefore, this case is important for not only my family but also for ensuring respect for the right to family life of our elders in the twilight of their lives after they have given us the best of upbringings and opportunities.