Indian Lockdown Hero Honoured by Queen Faces Deportation from UK

London: 42-year-old Vimal Pandya is facing deportation to India after losing an immigration appeal in the UK despite receiving an honour from Queen Elizabeth II for his dedicated service to the local families during the Covid-19 migration. 

During the pandemic, Vimal supported 50 vulnerable families in Rotherhithe, South of London by providing them free food and vital supplies. For his noble deed, he also received a letter of thanks from the Queen’s personal representatives in London. 

Vimal has been living in the UK for more than eleven years. He came to the country in 2011 from India on a student visa but his college’s right to sponsor foreign students was revoked by the UK Home Office three years later and since then he’s fighting to remain in the UK. 

Dismissing the deportation appeal on January 24, the judge said Vimal has been working in the UK ‘illegally for many years’. Vimal has only a couple of weeks to challenge the judge’s decision and if he doesn’t win the appeal, he will be forcibly removed from the country. 

Meanwhile, the locals in Rotherhithe and in other places are standing behind Vimal. They have also started an online petition, which has received more than 1,75,000 signatures so far, requesting the UK Home Office to reinstate his visa. 

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