‘If you don’t leave voluntarily…’: Indian historian faces deportation from UK while conducting research in India – Here’s what happened – World News

Indian historian Dr Manikarnika Dutta faces the threat of deportation from the UK after the Home Office ruled that she had exceeded the permissible number of days abroad while conducting research in India, The Guardian reported. Despite residing in the UK for 12 years and holding academic positions at prestigious institutions such as the University of Oxford, her application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) has been rejected.

Dr Dutta’s scholarly work necessitates access to historical archives in India, leading to frequent travel. However, according to Home Office regulations, ILR applicants must not be absent from the UK for more than 548 days over a 10-year period. Dutta’s total absence stood at 691 days, resulting in the rejection of her application, the report further stated.

Her lawyer Naga Kandiah emphasised the necessity of her travels and said, “These research trips were not optional but essential to fulfilling her academic and institutional obligations. Had she not undertaken these trips, she would not have been able to complete her thesis, meet the academic requirements of her institutions or maintain her visa status.”

What is Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)?

ILR grants individuals the right to live, work and study in the UK without time restrictions, serving as a pathway to British citizenship. To qualify, applicants must fulfill certain criteria, including continuous residence, adherence to absence limits, passing the Life in the UK Test and demonstrating English proficiency.

For academicians like Dr Dutta, research-related absences can jeopardise ILR eligibility, despite their professional necessity.

Dutta first moved to the UK in 2012 for a master’s degree at Oxford and later switched to a spouse visa as a dependent of her husband, Dr Souvik Naha, a senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow. While Naha’s ILR application was approved, Dutta’s was denied.

“I was shocked when I got an email saying I have to leave,” she told The Observer. “I have lived here for 12 years. A large part of my adult life has been in the UK since I came to study at Oxford. I never thought something like this would happen to me.”

Following the denial, Dutta sought an administrative review, but the decision remained unchanged. The Home Office issued a warning, “You must now leave the United Kingdom. If you don’t leave voluntarily, you may be subject to a re-entry ban of 10 years and prosecuted for overstaying.”

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