Who is Manikarnika Dutta, Oxford historian facing deportation from UK?

Manikarnika Dutta, a 37-year-old Indian historian from Oxford University, is facing the threat of being deported by the UK after the Home Office ruled she had exceeded the permitted number of days abroad while conducting research in India.

Dutta received an email from the Home Office, rejecting her right to stay in the UK. According to the Home Office, she had exceeded her allotted 548 days during the 10 years before applying for indefinite leave.

At present, Dutta is in limbo regarding her residency in the UK, as the Home Office said it would reconsider her case three months from now.

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Denial of residence

Dutta applied for indefinite leave to stay in the UK, based on her decade-long residence with her husband, Souvik Naha in Welling, South London.

While her husband’s application was granted, hers was refused. She applied for an administrative review of aid refusal, but the Home Office was steadfast in its decision to reject her application.

The Home Office also rejected her application on the basis that she does not have a family life in Britain, despite her being married for over a decade to her husband, and living in South London.

According to media reports, the review concluded with, “You must now leave the United Kingdom. If you don’t leave voluntarily you may be subject to a re-entry ban of 10 years and prosecuted for overstaying.”

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Naha told the media that the decision made by the Home Office has been ‘terribly stressful’ for the couple. He said, “It has taken a psychological toll. I sometimes give lectures about these issues and have read articles about people affected, but never thought it would happen to us.”

Dutta told the Observer, “I was shocked when I got an email saying I have to leave.” She said, “I have been employed at different universities in the UK and I’ve lived here for 12 years. A large part of my adult life has been lived in the UK since I came to the University of Oxford to do my master’s. I never thought something like this would happen to me.”

Legal proceedings

Her lawyer, Nagah Kandiah, at MTC Solicitors, argued her case, “These research trips were not optional but essential to fulfilling her academic and institutional obligations. Had she not undertaken these trips, she would not have been able to complete her thesis, meet the academic requirements of her institutions or maintain her visa status.” according to a report by The Guardian.

Kandiah said that Dutta’s case is an example of how sudden attempts at deporting foreign academics from the UK undermines the country’s reputation. He added that it also undermines the country’s ability to attract and retain ‘global academic talent’ at a time when strengthening international relations is crucial.

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Who is Manikarnika Dutta?

Manikarnika Dutta is currently an assistant professor at the University College Dublin, Ireland. She has also held positions at the University of Bristol and pursued her PhD at the University of Oxford.

Dutta completed her MA in Modern History, according to The Guardian report. She moved to London in 2012 to pursue a Master’s degree in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology at the University of Oxford. According to reports, her degree was funded by a Wellcome Trust Masters studentship.

She has been living in South London for over a decade with her husband, fellow academician, Souvik Naha, a senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow.

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What’s ILR?

Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) is an immigration status in the UK, granted to people allowing them to freely live, work and study in the country without restrictions.

It is sometimes known as ‘settlement’ and is a route to citizenship in Britain, according to reports.

To avail and maintain this status, applicants must fulfill certain requirements which include, staying in the UK under a visa category promoting settlement, passing the Life in the UK Test, proving proficiency in English, and staying within the absence limitations – which is what Dutta went over by 143 days.