A Dutch research scientist living in the United Kingdom along with his six-year-old daughter was asked to leave within two months after his skilled worker visa was cancelled by the Home Office, reported the British media, on Tuesday (May 27). However, it was later found that the government had incorrectly sent him the notification, the incident has since left the 39-year-old in a “state of disbelief”.
What happened?
The 39-year-old, Dutch research scientist, Bobby Stuijfzand received a letter from the British Home Office, earlier this month, which informed him that his skilled migrant visa is being cancelled and he has to leave the country in August.
This comes after Stuijfzand had reportedly switched to a family visa over a year ago being a father of his six-year-old British daughter Malou to legally stay in the UK. The notification in question quoted by British media outlets said that his skilled worker visa which granted him entry clearance had been removed as he “stopped working for your sponsor”.
But this was also not the case since Stuijfzand is still employed by the same company. The letter added, “You do not have a right of appeal or administrative review against the decision to cancel your permission to stay.”
‘State of disbelief’: Stuijfzand about the mix-up
The 39-year-old moved near London, England from Switzerland in 2021, so that his daughter, who was born in Bristol, could be closer to his English wife’s relatives after she passed away due to cancer.
At the time, he was not able to apply for the European Union settled status, which was an immigration option for EU citizens after Brexit, as he fell short of the requirement of five years of residency since his family moved to Switzerland in 2018.
Furthermore, he still works for the Behavioural Insights Team and while his skilled migrant visa has expired, Stuijfzand no longer requires it to stay in the UK since he switched to a parental visa 18 months before the notification was sent to him.
Speaking to the UK-based media outlet, Standard, Stuijfzand, said he was in a “state of disbelief” after the Home Office sent him the letter. He also took to Twitter after the government’s blunder and wrote, “I have two months this summer to pack up, leave my job, find my daughter a new school in the Netherlands and cross the North Sea.”
While he initially suspected that there had been an error and after multiple attempts to inform the Home Office failed Stuijfzand wrote them an email informing them that he believes there has been a mistake.
Stuijfzand also spoke about how he was shocked at the accusatory and “threatening” tone of the letter which said he could be detained, prosecuted, fined and imprisoned, removed and banned from returning to the UK, as per the Guardian. Additionally, he was also told that his earnings could be seized and assets confiscated, and bank accounts frozen, if he worked illegally.
How did the UK Home Office respond to the incident?
When media outlets began contacting the Home Office about the incident they confirmed that they made a mistake and would get in touch with Stuijfzand. “Unfortunately a visa cancellation letter was issued to Dr Stuijfzand in error. We have issued a retraction and we apologise for any inconvenience this has caused him and his family,” said the government, in a statement.
However, while the error has been fixed, they have not contacted the Dutch scientist, as of Tuesday. “I don’t think I’ll be very rested until I’ve received that confirmation,” he told the Standard.
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