Beatrice Denedo now faces Christmas in a Deptford hostel for homeless people after her private landlord booted her out of a one-bedroom Rushey Green flat while she lay in hospital.Oh noes! At Christmas! How can people be so heartless!?
Mrs Denedo came to the UK from Nigeria in the 1950s on a spouse visa with her husband but the couple, who have a grown up son living in Lee, eventually divorced. She returned to her home country before coming back to the UK 10 years ago, but problems sorting out a visa meant she overstayed.Hmmm…
Earlier this year, her application for leave to remain in the country failed, her housing benefits were stopped in September and the landlord of a flat where she lived for two years issued a 30-day eviction notice. Mrs Denedo says she was in Lewisham Hospital at the time, being treated for scabies from being bitten by a spider in her dirty flat…Wait, what? That’s not how you get scabies! And since when did the NHS have the resources to hospitalise you for that?
And…why was your flat ‘dirty’? More to the point, why was that something the landlord was expected to fix?
She said: "I was too scared to complain about the dirty flat because I thought they would kick me out of it. I was so scared.
"My immigration lawyers said they could not continue with my case because the legal aid had run out. "Yeah, that’s the thing with lawyers. They always want paying.
Now Mrs Denedo is staying at the Reach hostel in Deptford, though the place is unable to look after her during the daytime, which means she has to look for places to keep warm during daylight hours.Nigeria’s pretty warm, isn’t it?
Concerned friends have contacted Lewisham Deptford MP Joan Ruddock about the situation but Mrs Denedo, who suffers from breathing problems and other ailments, does not know what the future holds and is concerned about returning to Nigeria while her family remain here.
She said: "I would suffer and die if I went back to Nigeria.
"I could not afford the treatment."Newsflash, Mrs Denedo – we can’t afford to keep you either.
And she isn't living with her family in the UK because...?
ReplyDeleteWhy are we paying benefits to foreigners ? If they come here, shouldn't they first be able to demonstrate that they are able to support themselves ?
ReplyDeleteA very good case for helping RAF pilots keep up their flying hours - roll out a couple if the transport planes and start transporting these over stayers back to where they came from - a win, win for everyone
ReplyDeleteWhere's my picoviolin?
ReplyDelete"And she isn't living with her family in the UK because...?"
ReplyDeleteBecause we're mugs?
" If they come here, shouldn't they first be able to demonstrate that they are able to support themselves ?"
Presumably when she came, women were expected to be dependent on their husbands.
Well, it's 2013 now - she should get a job like the sisterhood demand!
"... roll out a couple if the transport planes and start transporting these over stayers back to where they came from - a win, win for everyone"
Excellent idea!
"Where's my picoviolin?"
:D