74 years Old Ghanaian Shardey Who Has Lived In UK For Nearly 5 Decades Was Told He Is Not British

A 74-year-old Ghanaian man, Nelson Shardey who has stayed in the UK for almost  5 decades is facing a decade-long challenge  to stay in the country permanently.

Nelson Shardey, a retired newsagent, has been living in the UK since 1977, but only found out recently that he was not officially recognized as Britian citizen.

Shardey, who has been paying taxes all his adult life, now faces paying thousands of pounds to stay in the UK and access the National Health Service (NHS).

He was told by the Home Office that he had no right to be in the UK and must apply for a 10-year route to settlement, which would cost around £7,000.

He would also need to pay an additional £10,500 over the same period to access the NHS.

Despite his long-standing connection to the UK, Shardey’s application for a passport was rejected in 2019, leading him to discover that he was not British.

He has since been fighting to stay in the country, but his case has been delayed due to errors in his application.

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His sons are now trying to raise funds through crowdfunding to help pay for his legal fees.

Shardey’s case has raised concerns about the treatment of long-term residents like him.

His lawyer, Nicola Burgess, argues that the Home Office should have treated him as an exception due to his length of time in the UK and his bravery award and service to the community.

Burgess notes that at least one caseworker has suggested that Shardey should be granted indefinite leave to remain due to “exceptional facts”.

“And when you look at it on a personal level, if Nelson was your friend or your neighbour, you would absolutely agree that he should be given the immediate right to settle,”Burgess stressed.

Shardey’s story is all the more remarkable given his contributions to British society.

He has performed jury service and was awarded a police bravery award for tackling a robber who was attacking a delivery man with a baseball bat.

He has also instilled values of hard work and self-reliance in his two sons, who have gone on to successful careers as a research scientist and a public relations executive.

“I tried my utmost to educate them the best way I could, so that neither of them would depend on social or anything,” Shardey said. “I told them to learn hard, get a good job, and work for themselves.”

Shardey’s sons are equally determined to help their father achieve his goal.

“Why would he need to go and start this 10-year route when he’s been here since 1977?” asked Jacob, one of Shardey’s sons.

“He’s been here longer than the people who are working in the Home Office on his case have been alive.”

Shardey’s case highlights the difficulties faced by long-term residents who are not automatically recognized as British.

Despite his decades of contribution to British society, he is now facing a lengthy and costly process to secure his status.

“I can’t afford to pay any part of the money they are asking,” said Shardey, who is recovering from prostate cancer.

“Telling me to go through that route is a punishment, and it’s not fair in any way.”

As Shardey awaits the outcome of his case, he remains hopeful that he will be able to stay in the country he has called home for nearly five decades.

His sons are equally determined to help their father achieve his goal, and are working tirelessly to raise funds and support his case.

Credit: BBC

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