A mum who started a new life in Liverpool is desperately trying to extend her family's permission to remain in Britain as she fears for the future of her disabled son.
Sheryll Armitage travelled more than 8,000 miles from South Africa to Kirkby with her children Douglas, who is deaf, and Erin in 2016. The 50-year-old moved after applying for an ancestral VISA, as her maternal grandparents were both born in England, while her father's side of the family has Irish and Welsh heritage. But after the relative she was staying with was found to be in breach of his tenancy agreement, the family was forced to move out and return to South Africa.
Sheryll, who works in administration, said: "I couldn't afford to rent without a job, and I couldn't get a job without a place to stay, so I was in a catch-22 situation. With nowhere to go we had no choice but to admit defeat and with heavy hearts and a huge financial loss returned to South Africa. The sad part was I received a letter for an interview a few days before we left."
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In 2019, Sheryll returned to Britain with her children on an existing five-year VISA after being offered temporary accommodation by a friend. When the VISA expired in 2021, she paid more than £9,000 to extend it, as UK laws state people moving into the country must live here a full five years before applying for "indefinite leave to remain" and British passports.
The mum of three, whose oldest child lives in New Zealand, is now hoping to raise £8,000 for indefinite leave for herself, Douglas, 23, and Erin, 16, before the end of the year.
She said: "Most would be thinking, ‘you were here long enough, why not save?’. As a single parent, with no support, no recourse to public funds, and running a household alone, it has been impossible to save. When I have managed to do so there is always an emergency that pops up."
She added: "When I went through a divorce, I wanted better for my children, and that's when I looked around at the opportunities available to them in South Africa. With my son being deaf, I couldn't really foresee anything for his future. Here, there's more opportunities, and even with all our struggles we've managed a lot better here than we were in South Africa.
"Not being citizens, we don't get public funds, so all we have is what I have earned. I'm not looking for benefits. I'm just looking for a way to get our passports ASAP.
"Douglas recently started working as a labourer. In South Africa, there was nothing for him. He wouldn't have been able to carry on a steady job or own his own home. Now he has the freedom to do things. It's a more accessible environment, and there's more of a support structure here for him.
"Erin jumped straight into high school when we arrived, her marks were exceptional and in Y7 she got a Best in Form award. She's done really well and wants to study as a pâtisserie chef after her GCSEs this year.
"I just want to relax and breathe and not have this pressure hanging over our heads. Obviously there are rules, and they can't make exceptions for us, but we can't go back to Durban. There's nothing there for us. I've been through this twice, and it's crazy, I know, but I'm determined to get it right for my children.
"I'm going to have the raise the money somehow. I haven't thought about what will happen if I can't. I'm determined to do it. When you're trying to do something like this, you can't think of 'can't'. I've still got to the end of this year. Time flies, but I still have time.
"My children make me determined. At the end of the day, I'm fighting for their futures. For them to be here and have that peace of mind, that's what it's all about."
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