A Ghanaian man, Nelson Shardey, has filed a legal case against the United Kingdom Home Office after being denied permanent residency despite having lived in the country for 42 years.
Shardey, a retired 74-year-old who arrived in the UK in 1977 to study accountancy on a student visa that also allowed him to work, believed he was officially British.
For decades, Shardey lived and worked in the UK, paying taxes and contributing to society, under the assumption that his residency status was secure.
However, he discovered in 2019 that he was not considered a British citizen. Despite his long-term residency and contributions, the Home Office informed him he would need to wait another 10 years before they could grant him permanent residency.
Shardey, who never left the UK and considered it his home, expressed his disbelief and frustration at the situation.
He recounted how he had taken on various jobs, including working at Mother’s Pride Bread, Kipling’s Cakes near Southampton, and Bendick’s Chocolate in Winchester.
He obtained a mortgage and lived a normal life without his residency status ever being questioned.
The issue came to light when Shardey applied for a passport to travel back to Ghana following his mother’s death.
The Home Office’s response indicated that he had no right to be in the UK, a revelation that came as a shock given his long-term residency and the fact that he had lived his entire adult life in the country.
I have never left the UK as I saw no need to and regarded it as my home.
“Nobody questioned me. I bought all my things on credit, even the house.
“I got a mortgage. And nobody questioned me about anything,” Shardy told the BBC.
After learning in 2019 that he was not officially British, the UK Home Office advised him to apply for the 10-year route to settlement.
This process entails costs of about £7,000 over 10 years, plus an additional £10,500 to access the NHS during the same period.
Shardey, who is recovering from prostate cancer, expressed his inability to afford these fees and described the situation as a form of punishment.
He emphasised his deep integration into British society, having lived there continuously since his arrival in 1977.
“I cannot afford to pay any part of the money they are asking. Telling me to go through that route is a punishment, and it’s not fair in any way,” said Mr Shardey, who is recovering from prostate cancer.
“I don’t understand why this fuss at all, because I put my life, my whole self into this country,” he added.
His situation worsened when an error in his application process two years ago caused his 10-year route to restart in 2023, meaning he will not achieve permanent residency until he is 84.
Shardey’s lawyer, Nicola Burgess from the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit, is taking the Home Office to court on his behalf.
Despite his long-term residence, and contributions to society—including performing jury service and receiving a police bravery award in 2007—Shardey has faced bureaucratic setbacks.
He has two sons, Jacob and Aaron, with a British woman, following his first marriage to another Briton.
The Home Office declined to comment on Shardey’s case.
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