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A heart-wrenching decision by the UK Home Office has left a Brazilian family in turmoil, as two young boys, aged 11 and eight, have been told they must return to Brazil alone, despite their parents legally residing and working in the UK. The children, who have spent most of their lives in the UK, do not speak fluent Portuguese and face immense disruption to their lives and education.
Guilherme Serrano, 11, and Luca Serrano, 8, are the children of Ana Luiza Cabral Gouveia, a senior NHS nurse, and Dr. Hugo Barbosa, a senior lecturer in computer science at the University of Exeter. Both parents are essential workers, contributing significantly to British society. Yet, the Home Office has issued a letter to the children, informing them they have no right to remain in the UK. The letter, shockingly, even warns 11-year-old Guilherme about potential detention, prosecution, and loss of future rights if he stays illegally.
"I could not in a million years have seen this coming from the Home Office. This letter from them makes me feel as if my kids are criminals," said a distraught Gouveia, who has worked for the NHS and paid her taxes since arriving in the UK in 2019.
The core of the family's predicament lies in the parents' divorce a couple of years after their arrival in the UK. While they maintain an amicable 50/50 co-parenting arrangement, Home Office rules stipulate that both parents should be granted settlement at the same time, or one parent should have sole responsibility for the children, neither of which applies in this unique circumstance.
Dr. Barbosa expressed his despair, highlighting that his children do not read or write in Portuguese and are not fluent in the language. "The Home Office is saying, 'Let's just kick two happy, healthy children out of the UK.' Going back to Brazil would disrupt their emotional and social stability. The children are already experiencing anxiety due to the uncertainty about their future," he stated. Guilherme is set to lose his place at a grammar school, a significant blow to his education.
The Home Office's refusal letter to Guilherme states that there are "no serious or compelling reasons" to grant him settlement and suggests he could continue his education in an English-speaking school in Brazil. It concludes that "maintaining effective immigration control" outweighs the potential impact on the children, a stance that has ignited widespread anger and disbelief.
This case raises serious questions about the Home Office's approach to family life, child welfare, and the human impact of its immigration policies, especially concerning those who contribute to the UK's vital public services.
