A 74-year-old retired newsagent from Wallasey in Wirral faces a decade-long wait before he can secure permanent residency in the UK, despite living there for nearly 50 years.
Nelson Shardey, originally from Ghana, moved to Britain in 1977 on a student visa to study accountancy. However, due to a coup in Ghana, his family could no longer send him money for his education, prompting him to take on various jobs.
Shardey assumed he was considered a British citizen until 2019 when he applied for a passport to visit Ghana following his mother’s death. He was informed by the Home Office that he had no official right to remain in the UK. Despite paying taxes throughout his adult life, he now faces the prospect of paying thousands of pounds over ten years to secure his stay and access the NHS.
The Home Office has declined to comment on the ongoing legal case.
During his time in the UK, Shardey married twice, raised two sons (Jacob Shardey and Aaron Shardey), and ran his own business, Nelson’s News. His contributions to the community include performing jury service and receiving a police bravery award in 2007 for tackling a robber.
In 2019, when Shardey applied for a passport, he was told he was not British and had no right to remain in the UK. He was advised to apply for the 10-year route to settlement, costing about £17,500 over the period, which he says he cannot afford, describing it as punitive and unfair.
Due to an error in filling out an online form two years ago, Shardey’s 10-year settlement process had to restart in 2023, delaying his permanent residency until he was 84.
His son Jacob, a research scientist, expressed disbelief over the situation, questioning why his father, who has been in the UK longer than the Home Office staff handling his case, should undergo such a lengthy process.
With the assistance of Nicola Burgess from the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit, Shardey is now taking legal action against the Home Office. The case argues that due to his long residency and community service, Shardey should be granted indefinite leave to remain.
So far, over £20,000 has been donated through GoFundMe to support the legal costs.
A Home Office spokesperson stated it would be inappropriate to comment on active legal proceedings.
