Kenyan student fighting Home Office to stay in Meltham

Mar 19 2010 by Joanne Douglas, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Elyjoy Ikunyua

KENYAN student Elyjoy Ikunyua is fighting to stay in the town she loves.

The 25-year-old, who lives in Meltham, had her work visa rejected because of a discrepancy over her bank balance, she claims.

Over the last five years Elyjoy has completed a law degree at Huddersfield University, a post graduate degree in youth and community work and become an active volunteer in the Meltham and Holmfirth communities.

Her work experience with Youth Offending Teams led her to focus her career on helping teenagers who stray into a life of crime.

But when she applied for a Post Study Work (PSW) visa to allow her to stay indefinitely it was rejected at a hearing on February 24.

Elyjoy said: “I don’t want to be here illegally, I want to stay here and work and do some good.

“I’ve spent so much on my studies; international fees are £9,000 a year and I’ve invested so much into doing what I love.

“I want to work with young offenders and help them get their lives back on track, for them to have a positive influence on communities.

“It’s unfortunate that people who want to do things the right way are stopped by red tape.

“People who want to make a life for themselves and work hard can’t because the system is flawed.

“I don’t want to be sponging off the system, I want to work.”

Elyjoy said she was told her visa application was turned down because she dipped into the £800 in her bank account, reducing the balance even though she would repay it by the end of every month through her part-time work.

She was told getting into debt by getting a loan and not touching her savings would have helped her.

At a tribunal last month Elyjoy was told the system is flawed and it was counting against her.

Now, with the help of the community she’s heavily involved in, Elyjoy is fighting her application refusal.

And she’s even got Conservative leader David Cameron and Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling looking into her case.

“It means so much to me,” added Elyjoy. “I go into Holmfirth and there are petitions with my picture on it all over the place.’’

Elyjoy came to Huddersfield from Nairobi in 2004, living in Meltham with Pastor Ian Gooch, his wife Jen and their three children.

She studied law at Huddersfield University, getting a 2:1 degree, and went on to study for a Post-graduate degree in youth and community work, graduating with a distinction.

Elyjoy funded her studies by working at Morrisons, where she still works, and took on other part-times jobs.