Manikarnika Dutta, a 37-year-old historian with strong academic ties to the University of Oxford, faces the threat of deportation from the UK.
This action by the Home Office is based on her exceeding the allowed 548 days abroad during a 10-year period, as she spent 691 days conducting essential research in India.
Dutta’s work involved accessing historic Indian archives crucial for her academic responsibilities.
The rejection of her indefinite leave to remain not only cited her extended stays abroad but also controversially stated that she lacks a family life in Britain, despite her over a decade-long marriage and shared residence with her husband in South London.
Currently an assistant professor at University College Dublin, Dutta has significant academic contributions across various UK universities, including Oxford and Bristol.
Her husband, Dr. Souvik Naha, is a senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow.
Dutta expressed her shock and distress over the Home Office’s directive, emphasizing her deep personal and professional roots in the UK since her arrival in 2012.
Her legal representation, Naga Kandiah of MTC Solicitors, highlighted the indispensable nature of her trips to India, which were crucial for meeting her academic obligations and maintaining her visa status.
Following a denied application for indefinite leave based on long residence—where her husband’s application was accepted—Dutta faced a Home Office decision compelling her to leave the UK, threatening a 10-year re-entry ban and legal repercussions for overstaying.
The academic community has rallied around Dutta, with her husband noting the significant psychological impact of the ordeal.
A legal challenge has been launched to contest the Home Office’s decision, which is under review with a possible confirmation of the original decision looming.
Kandiah has criticized the situation as detrimental to the UK’s academic reputation and its appeal to international scholars, stressing the need for the UK to foster a more welcoming environment for global academic talents to enhance its position in academia and innovation.
The Home Office, maintaining its usual policy, has refrained from commenting on individual cases. Dutta remains in a state of uncertainty as the review process continues.
