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The Guardian World1 min read
Care worker fears being parted from unborn child and family after Home Office ‘go home’ letters
TL;DR
A pregnant care worker in Scotland fears separation from her unborn child after her husband and daughter received 'go home' letters from the Home Office. She is concerned about the implications of a new visa clampdown affecting families living legally in the UK.
Key points
- Sachintha Warnakulasuriya is a pregnant care worker in Scotland.
- Her husband and daughter received 'go home' letters from the Home Office.
- The family is concerned about the implications of a new visa clampdown.
- Warnakulasuriya's pregnancy is high risk due to a previous loss.
- She is scheduled for a planned caesarean section on June 16.
Mentioned in this story
Sachintha WarnakulasuriyaIndika KumaraHeilyScotlandHome Office
Sri Lanka
A heavily pregnant mother living and working in the UK legally fears the Home Office could try to separate her from her unborn baby after her husband and first child were sent “go home” letters.
Sachintha Warnakulasuriya lives in Scotland with her husband, Indika Kumara and their six-year-old daughter Heily. Warnakulasuriya, 36, has a visa permitting her to work in the UK as a care worker and is sponsored by her employer. Her husband, also 36, and daughter are legally entitled to live in the UK as her dependents.
The Guardian revealed earlier this month that under a new visa clampdown, children as young as five who live in the UK legally with their parents are being sent letters by the Home Office encouraging them to return to their countries of origin.
Warnakulasuriya qualified as a doctor in her home country of Sri Lanka and has three degrees. Her husband has an archaeology degree. Her pregnancy has been deemed high risk after she lost a baby in Sri Lanka and she is booked in for a planned caesarean section on 16 June at a local hospital.
“I was thinking that giving birth would be a happy and relaxed time for me. The medical team have tried to make me feel confident about giving birth after my previous experience of losing a baby,” said Warnakulasuriya.
“I saw the article in the Guardian about the family being sent ‘go home’ letters but never thought the same thing would happen to me. Then on 4 June we got a letter from the Home Office saying my husband and six-year-old daughter have to leave the UK but I can stay. I do not know what will happen to the baby.
“Now I am so stressed about everything. I do not know what we will do. We pay our taxes and do not take anything from the state. We are trying to contribute our services to the UK and do everything legally. We haven’t told my daughter what’s happening. She is so happy and settled here. She speaks English with a Scottish accent.”
In a separate case involving a Home Office letter being sent to a two-month-old baby seen by the Guardian, the letter was sent on 4 June and addressed the baby directly, rather than his parents.
It stated: “We have considered the information you have provided and are not satisfied you have raised compelling or compassionate grounds, which would warrant a grant of leave outside the rules. None of the grounds raised could be considered to be exceptional.”
The government began to clamp down on family visas for care workers after the Home Office estimated in 2023 that about 120,000 family members were in the UK, joining 100,000 care worker applicants.
Q&A
What are 'go home' letters from the Home Office?
'Go home' letters are notifications sent by the Home Office encouraging individuals, including children, to return to their countries of origin.
How does the new visa clampdown affect families in the UK?
The new visa clampdown affects families by sending letters to legally residing children, potentially leading to separation from their parents.
What is the medical situation of Sachintha Warnakulasuriya?
Sachintha Warnakulasuriya is experiencing a high-risk pregnancy and is scheduled for a planned caesarean section due to a previous loss.
What rights do dependents of visa holders have in the UK?
Dependents of visa holders, like Warnakulasuriya's husband and daughter, are legally entitled to live in the UK as long as the primary visa holder maintains their status.
