A family have had “sleepless nights” after their 13-month-old daughter is being threatened with removal from the UK by the Home Office.

Massah, who is 13 months old, was born in the Midlands in April last year. Both her parents have been living legally in Britain since 2021 when her father came to study for a PhD from Jordan and her mother arrived as his dependant.

The threat to remove Massah comes after the family took a holiday abroad together in January.

As Massah’s status wasn’t confirmed before the family left the country for the first time together, she technically re-entered the UK as a tourist and officials refuse to recognise the discrepancy.

Her parents have tried applying for a child-dependent visa for their daughter, but this month, they received a letter from the Home Office telling them their daughter “will be required to immediately leave the UK” and will have to re-apply for a visa from abroad.

The letter from the government goes on to state: “In the particular circumstances of your case, it has been concluded that the need to maintain the integrity of the immigration laws outweighs the possible effect on you/your children.”

Massah with her parents

Massah’s father, Mohammad, says he and his wife have faced sleepless nights. Despite their MP and lawyers trying to argue their case, so far, they have made no further progress.

They don’t want to have to take their baby to Jordan to re-apply due to the current instability in the Middle East and are concerned that, even if they did, the application could still be refused.

Mohammad said that his daughter’s relationship with Britain will be forever changed: “I can’t imagine how I can tell her the story in the future that the country you [were] born asked you to leave while you [were] a year old.”

“I’m trying to fix everything. I don’t need to consider a one-year-old infant as an overstayer here,” he said.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “All visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with the immigration rules.

“We are working closely with the parents of this child to ensure they receive the support and direction they require regarding the application.”