South African family told to get out of Britain
A SOUTH African who moved his family to Stoke-on-Trent more than two years ago to look after his ill mother is being booted out of Britain.
Immigration officers have told Grant and Charlotte Rabe and their three children that they will be deported by the end of July.
-
Grant had arrived in Britain on a six-month visa in December 2007 and has spent £4,000 on legal fees to try to remain in the country.
The self-employed mechanic argues he should not be treated like an asylum seeker – because he works and pays rent for a house.
Ruark HiFi - for lovers of good music and fantastic sound
Headphone offer is our own offer as test for these vouchers - so don't delay offer expires 25/05/13
Terms:
Only with this voucher, choose a set of headphones up to 10% of the units price or add some to it if you want a dearer set
ie Unit for £300 would give you £30 towards headphones of your choice
Contact: 01782 342609
Valid until: Saturday, May 25 2013
But the UK Border Agency (UKBA) says the family has no right to remain in Britain and should leave now.
Grant came to Britain after his mother, Leonie Gater, of Bucknall, suffered a stroke and was found to have a cyst on her brain.
Mrs Gater had arrived in Britain from South Africa in 1976 and later married a Potteries man before they divorced.
Grant, of Tunstall, said today: "We have been told we will be given £500 each to help us return to South Africa but I will have no home and no job and we will be on the streets.
"I do not want any benefits in Britain, I have paid the rent on my house by working all day as a mechanic.
"I have used all my savings to look after my mother and to try to stay in this country. It is very wrong that asylum seekers stay here and get money from the state. I have never asked for a penny and I would never ask for anything.
"I need to stay here and want to look after my mother. She needs help with basic things like getting to the shops."
The Rabes' children – Etienne, aged 16, Nico aged 14, and five-year-old Johan – are attending Brownhills Maths and Computing College, in Tunstall, and the town's Summerbank Primary School.
Etienne, who is taking his GCSEs, said: "I have made so many friends. If we can stay here, I would love to go to college."
Grant was brought up by his grandparents after his mother gave birth at 15 and he remained in South Africa until 2007.
Mrs Gater said: "I always stayed in touch with Grant and we would talk on the phone and send letters, but I could not afford to go back and see him.
"I made sure I always supported him financially as he was growing up. I could not work because of my illness and had my home repossessed as I couldn't keep up with the mortgage payments.
"Grant sold all his belongings to come here and help take care of me. I just want him to stay."
The Rabes' latest application to stay here was turned down in November.
UKBA regional director Gail Adams said: "Mr Rabe and his family were fully aware they only had a right to remain in the UK as visitors for six months, yet they have chosen to stay significantly longer.
"Mr Rabe's case has been fully assessed against immigration rules.
"When someone is found not to have a right to be in the UK, we expect them to leave voluntarily, and if they fail to do so, we will not hesitate to find ways of removing them."
Comments
by Dogging Al, Doggingshire
Wednesday, June 02 2010, 7:58PM
“Apparently I haven't got a clue what's going on down there. Thats' because I've actually been myself and have 2 kids still living there and don't see it the same way as someone who's whole view on the world is through youtube.”
by me, stoke
Wednesday, June 02 2010, 6:59PM
“fantasist”
by David, Newcastle
Wednesday, June 02 2010, 6:33PM
“me, this is why he's been mentioned.
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=661120916624216747&postID=7527203475488790838&isPopup=true
Nobody gets banned from a website for meaningful debate, only for being abusive, the same as countless others he's been banned from. The man's a joke.”
by me, stoke
Wednesday, June 02 2010, 6:26PM
“Lazarus, never said YOU did. I was asking why poeple posting on here had.”
by Lazarus, North Staffs
Wednesday, June 02 2010, 3:07PM
“Me Stoke, me thinks you are stupid cant remember mentioning craig pond, wherever that is, probanly some where newr you in LA La Land???”
by me, stoke
Wednesday, June 02 2010, 2:26PM
“AncientTyke, how do you know he has the support of the silent majority? They're silent after all. I love it when people say they're speaking for the silent majority, how do they know what they think if they're silent? What they really mean is "this is what I believe, and as I'm right (in both senses) everyone elses believes it too."”
by Stan, Burslem
Wednesday, June 02 2010, 2:09PM
“AncientTyke, Stafford, This man was born in South Africa, to two South African parents so what exactly gives him the right to qualify for British citizaneship? The fact that he sold everything to he owns, chucked his job in and moved lock stock and barrel says that he came here with absolutely no intentions of ever going back. Now he has been caught and its "boo hoo, please everyone feel sorry for me". As I said before, if he is here illeagaly ( and he is ), then that means he has no national insurance number, that means he cant be paying national insurance or tax. As for you Nicolene, have you ever not thought of emigrating to South Africa if being with your new found family means that much to you? Because as you have a South african mother, you have more right to live there than your brother has to live here. Balck, white, brown or sky blue purple, the colour of his skin has nothing at all to do with it, he is in this country illeagaly, and that is the ONLY thing that matters here.”
by AncientTyke, Stafford
Wednesday, June 02 2010, 12:15PM
“The behaviour of the UKBA in this case is absolutely disgraceful. While it appears that UK passports are being issued at a record rate, they take the deportation option for this family, who have ties in Britain.
As a public service body they should have been advising and facilitating Mr Rabe on how to apply for citzenship or indefinite leave to remain.
They are after all public servants, and I suspect double standards here.
Keep up the fight Nicolene and Gary, you have the sympathy of the silent majority.”
by Fartybumpants, S-o-T
Wednesday, June 02 2010, 12:09PM
“Surely if he'd either extended his visa or applied for permanent status etc... instead of overstaying his visa then he wouldn't be putting his family through this? Somebody's already pointed out that it's thanks to when the Tories were last in govt that we have such a problem with people overstaying, no longer any exit checks. And we thought our immigration woes were all NuLab's fault. Mind you, they could have reimposed the exit checks...”
by gail, newcastle
Wednesday, June 02 2010, 11:39AM
“flights from south africa are 435 return inc taxes.so why did he sell all belongings give up his job,im sure his boss would of given him time off work. he did it because he planned to overstay his visa .when he gets caught goe's running to the press so we feel sorry for him,so send them back .as for feeling sorry the only people i feel sorry for are the british taxpayers.when people like this man's children go school and etc at the tax payers cost and he works self employed (cash in hand) has he got accounts .if you let him stay then the rest who overstayed visa's will expect to stay .look forward to reading when he goe's back”