A mother-of-two who was deported despite living in Britain for 30 years has been granted a reprieve by the Home Office after reversing their decision.
Irene Clennell, 53, who was the main carer for her British husband John, was placed in an immigration detention centre before being deported to Singapore earlier this year.
Mrs Clennell, who lived in County Durham and has two sons and a granddaughter, had just £12 in her pocket and no change of clothes when she was removed from the country.
At the time she accused the Home Office of treating her ‘like a terrorist’ and said despite promising to send someone to meet her in Singapore, they never did.
Irene Clennell (pictured), who lived in County Durham with husband John, has been given a reprieve after her deportation
But Home Office said: ‘This does not negate the previous decision which was the result of Mrs Clennell having entered the UK as a visitor, overstaying her leave to remain and making several applications while in the UK which did not meet the immigration rules.’ Pictured: Irene (left) and husband John
But in a statement, the Government said she has now been granted a visa.
It said: ‘Mrs Clennell has been granted a visa as a spouse as her latest application meets the immigration rules to enter the UK.
‘This does not negate the previous decision which was the result of Mrs Clennell having entered the UK as a visitor, overstaying her leave to remain and making several applications while in the UK which did not meet the immigration rules.
‘During that time, it was open to her to leave the UK voluntarily at any time in order to reapply under the correct route as she has now done.’
In February, Irene had said: ‘It is a bloody disgrace, they treat me like a terrorist’. Pictured: Irene and John in years gone by
Speaking to the Press Association in February, she said: ‘It is a bloody disgrace, they treat me like a terrorist and anything else under the sun.
‘They embarrass me in front of everybody, the only thing I did wrong was marry a British man and want to stay in the country with my kids and my husband.’
In response, her family set up a GoFundMe page to help raise legal fees for her case, which has now passed £55,000.
Mrs Clennell arrived in the UK in 1988, but spent periods of time back in Singapore to care for her parents before they died.