Two women who have lived in the UK for years are now looking over their shoulder for fear of racism amid Nigel Farage’s targeting of migrants
Two women who have lived in the UK for years are now looking over their shoulder for fear of racism amid Nigel Farage’s targeting of migrants.
Care worker Rosa Shanzala, 38, from Zambia, who got engaged to a Welsh man just a fortnight ago, has dedicated her time to looking after the elderly at a care home in Wales since July 2022.
And youth worker Nish, 33, a trafficking survivor from Mauritius who has lived here since she was 14, has built her home here with her daughter who was born and raised in Britain.
Both are mothers, both pay their taxes, both have contributed to the fabric of British life.
But the pair would both be at risk of getting kicked out of the UK under Reform UK’s plan to scrap Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) if it is elected.
Here are their stories.
READ MORE: Keir Starmer slams ‘racist’ Reform immigration policy – ‘they are our neighbours’
‘I feel vulnerable and disturbed after Farage’s announcement’
A care worker who could get kicked out of the UK under a Reform UK government has warned of the “devastating” impact of Nigel Farage ’s plans.
Rosa Shanzala, 38, from Zambia, has dedicated her time to looking after the elderly at a care home in Wales since July 2022.
But Mr Farage’s plan to scrap Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) if he is elected could mean she would have to leave the UK.
Rosa, who got engaged two weeks ago and is planning on buying a house with her fiancé, said she is “disturbed” by his announcement on Monday.
“It makes me feel very vulnerable because you do not know whether what you’re doing is worth it,” she said. “We dedicate, as health professionals, most of our time to the care that we provide.
“So in a seven day week, I spend four days in work, and I spend over 12 hours caring for people, and these are people that I build bonds with. I’m closer to these people sometimes than I am with my own family, because I spend more time with my residents and colleagues than with my own family.
“So thinking of having to be abruptly uprooted from where I am would have devastating effects on me, personally, and it would also affect the people that I care for, because they also depend on me and my colleagues, and it would leave a really big gap for them.”
The mum, whose eight-year-old son is still in Zambia and who came to the UK after the end of an abusive marriage, also highlighted that she pays a huge contribution in taxes to the British state.
“If I look at my pay slip and calculate my percentage, it’s about a fifth to about a sixth of how much I earn goes into tax and National Insurance. I do not have access to any benefits, which is okay, but I’m contributing positively to this economy.”
Rosa said she understood arguments about illegal migration but that there are people who have taken the financial burden to relocate and uproot their whole lives to contribute to society here.
But now she said something had changed and there’s “racism” attached to it. “It’s created this unsafe environment for people,” she said.
“We are having to walk looking over our shoulders because we do not know how the next person will react to our presence. And this was not the norm and it’s becoming more prevalent.”
‘I’m having sleepless nights I’ll lose ILR after years-long battle for it’
A youth worker said she is having “sleepless nights” thinking she’ll lose Indefinite Leave to Remain under a Reform government after years of battling for the immigration status.
Nish, 33, who works for Praxis, finally got ILR a few months ago after almost 20 years in the UK.
The mum, who has a three-year-old daughter and lives in London, was trafficked to the UK from Mauritius when she was a teenager in 2006. She was able to stay under human rights laws after initially being denied asylum.
Since then, she has had to spend thousands of pounds to renew her work and family visa every two years.
There are different ways to apply for ILR. People on certain visas can get it after two to five years in the UK, while others need to have been in the UK for 10 years.
Nish was in the latter group. She said every day was like “torture” as she’d try to scrape together the money knowing her visa renewal would soon come up until she could apply for ILR.
Nish said she was overwhelmed by relief when she was granted ILR, saying: “I was in shock.
“After a long time, things eventually paid off for me. Feeling stable and feeling settled – I’ve been here since I was 14 years old – it’s a big relief.”
But now she fears she could be sent back to day one.
“If Nigel Farage does decide to remove the 10-year route, then I will end up with not having a stable status in the country,” she said.
“So that I’ve had many sleepless nights thinking that I will go back to square one, and I really hope that that’s not the case.
“This is my home. I’m raising my three-year-old, I’m looking for a school for her, and now I’m more worried because she’s obviously my skin colour, and I’m worried about her safety. I’m worried about my safety. And obviously, this is my home. This is her home.
“She’s always known the UK and it makes me feel very insecure and makes me feel very worried about my family.
“Like I’m always looking back when I’m walking.”
Nish said the riots have shown communities are divided and that she has become increasingly “scared” for her and her child’s safety.
She added: “Migration brings so much to this country… I’m paying my tax, and my daughter is living here. She’s a British citizen. I have young people who I’m supporting, so I’m doing what I need to do, as someone that they don’t believe is a citizen as well. So I guess it’s like, treat us like they’ll treat their own. And don’t just divide us. It’s wrong to divide us.”
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