'Your application has been declared invalid'.
On December 12 last year, to my great regret, I received an email stating that my permanent status application was rejected.
The reason the Home office was that the deadline had passed and I did not have sufficient evidence to justify the reason for my late registration.
But the thing is, I had no idea my status was even in question until I started a job as caregiver and were asked to provide a 'share code': a code that allows migrants to prove their right to work.
This led me down a path that I am now in danger of taking deportation – even though I was born in Britain and have a British birth certificate.
My Portuguese mother, born in 2001 and raised in London, believed I was British, even though she and my father were not. She came to Britain in 2000 and had me and my three siblings.
I have been registered with a GP since birth and even had a little 'red book' – known as a Personal Child Health Record (PCHR), which records my health information. I went to nursery and went to school with all my other British friends.
In my mind I am British, and always have been. I don't know anywhere like home and I've never lived in another country.
Following the example of Great Britain departure from the European Union, my mother knew she had to apply for settled status. However, at the time she was told by a staff member at Wembley Civic Center that this did not apply to me as I was born here and had a British birth certificate.
So I thought nothing of it.
But when I got a job as a healthcare worker last December at the age of 22, they asked for a 'share code' and I had no idea what that was.
I thought my birth certificate would suffice as proof of 'right to work'. I also provided my Portuguese passport and proof of address, but was told by the employer that this was not enough.
I would have to start my life all over again and the thought of that made me deeply depressed
This was the moment I realized I wasn't fully British – and so the nightmare began.
I learned that using a British birth certificate is only sufficient if you already have one British residentsbut as I don't have a British passport and have never had one, I don't – and needed the Right to Work documents.
Even then, I thought this was just an administrative hiccup that could be easily resolved: how could they question my right to stay in the country where I was born, raised and lived?
That is why I submitted an application for the EU Settlement Scheme in December 2023.
When I received the rejection letter four days later, fear overwhelmed me. At some point, my identity and belonging were taken away from me and my life began to fall apart.
Applying for a British passport seemed like the logical next step. I've never been outside the UK so I'd never needed one until now.
Through this process I was asked to provide documents from my mother showing that she had leave to remain when I was born in 2001. That would have been the Portuguese passport my mother used when she entered Britain.
Unfortunately, my mother has since renewed her passport and the Portuguese authorities keep all expired passports. Without this crucial piece of evidence there was no way I could obtain a British passport and appealing the decision would be a very expensive (£140-£800) and lengthy process.
After doing some research, it suddenly struck me. I might even be deported.
This was difficult to accept. I've never lived in Portugal, I grew up in London and this is my home. I would have to start my life all over again and the thought of that made me deeply depressed.
Being autisticI quickly became overwhelmed and was unprepared for the toll this realization would take. Mine mental health plummeted, my depression got worse and I had trouble getting out of bed.
I felt like I had no hope of solving this problem.
To make matters worse, I have lost my job due to the uncertainty surrounding my status, leaving me without the means to support myself. I have lost my independence and become a burden to my family.
I am terrified that I may have to leave my home, my family and friends, and everything I have known, for a country whose native language I do not even speak and which cannot adequately support me with my mental health needs.
Decision makers must recognize the psychological, emotional and mental costs of their insensitive and inhumane immigration policies
I was lucky enough to have discovered the charity Women's rights, who support me in reapplying for permanent status. However, everything is so uncertain and there is no way of knowing how long the process might take or what the outcome might be.
The government and decision makers must recognize the psychological, emotional and mental costs of their insensitivity and inhumaneness immigration policy. We are not just numbers on a form; we are individuals with lives, livelihoods and mental well-being at stake.
Changes need to be made to ensure that people like me are better supported and don't find themselves in a legal limbo. According to recent statistics from the Migration Observatory, thousands of people in Britain are facing similar problems.
The government must recognize the urgency of this problem and take concrete steps to address it. If this does not happen, not only will injustice be perpetuated, but undermines the structure of our society.
My journey is not just a personal struggle, but a reflection of it systemic flaws in our immigration system.
It is time for change, compassion and recognition of every individual's inherent right to belong.
Until then, I will remain in the shadows, fighting for my place in the land I call home.
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