A Nigerian man has been refused a UK visa to come to Britain to provide bone marrow for a lifesaving transplant for his brother, who lives in London.
Isaac Aganozor, who works as a caretaker at Dulwich College, needs the treatment for leukaemia and his brother Patrick is a match. However, the Home Office has turned down Patrick’s visa request because he does not earn enough money to meet the economic criteria, even though Dulwich College has offered to pay for his return flight and accommodation while is in the UK.
The rejection letter said: "Given your limited economic circumstances in Nigeria I am not satisfied that these provide you with an incentive to leave the UK at the end of your stay as claimed."
The family, who are working with Isaac’s MP Helen Hayes to campaign against the decision, are due to submit a second visa application.
Isaac told the BBC: "I really need this transplant. I want to beg the Home Office, to beg the minister of immigration, please, consider my case.
"It should not be refused again, it should be granted. Patrick is not coming to the UK to stay. Patrick will definitely go back to Nigeria."
Ms Hayes said she was “appalled” by the authorities’ decision and “dumbfounded by the lack of compassion”. She said there was no reason to believe that Patrick Aganozor would be in the UK for longer than he needed to be, as he supported his mother and his daughter in Nigeria.
There were no bone marrow matches for Isaac on the UK bone marrow register, so he is now relying on his brother.
A Home Office spokesman said: "We are sensitive to cases with compassionate circumstances but all visa applications must be assessed against the immigration rules.”