A 21-year-old British-born joiner, who has been told he could be forced to leave the country, has made an emotional appeal to the Home Office on Good Morning Britain.
Shane Ridge has been told he has 'no lawful basis to be in the UK', according to a letter he received from Immigration Enforcement. This is despite the fact that he was born, went to school, works, pays taxes, rents a home and votes in the UK. He will now have to apply for the right to remain in the country.
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Credit: ITV/Good Morning Britain
Shane's mum, Sue Ebbs, was born in Australia to British parents. She has dual citizenship and his dad is British, but because they weren't married when he was born, Shane has no automatic right to live in the UK, according to the Home Office rules at the time of his birth.
Shane has been told he'll face a maximum £5,000 ($6,480) fine or six months in jail if he doesn't leave the country. He is now terrified he will be deported.
He told Richard Madeley: "They said any application you send off now is not going to work in stopping revoking your driving license, that is happening.
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"They can't give me any information on remaining to stay in the UK and I need a case worker."
He also told the host that the Home Office's claims that they have been in 'regular contact' with him aren't true.
Shane said he can't afford to hire a lawyer to fight his case, because even the initial consultation will run into thousands of pounds.
Shane's local MP is now contacting the Home Office to try to get some answers.
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Even more confusingly, Sue's two other children - Shane's siblings - have dual citizenship so can stay in the country. She said: "It was just bizarre, what's going on? I just don't understand what's happening to my son."
The Home Office declined to comment when asked by the Mirror, claiming this is because the case is ongoing.
Topics: Home Office, UK, Immigration