A historian affiliated with the University of Oxford, Manikarnika Dutta, is facing the threat of deportation from the United Kingdom after the Home Office concluded that she had exceeded the allowed number of days spent abroad during her tenure in the UK. The Home Office has stated that she has accumulated 691 days outside the UK over a decade, significantly over the maximum of 548 days stipulated for those applying for indefinite leave to remain.

Dutta, aged 37 and originally from Kolkata, India, has dedicated her research to studying archives located in India, a crucial component of her academic work. According to her, these international trips were essential for her research and not optional. She has been employed in various capacities across distinguished institutions, including Oxford University and University College Dublin, where she currently serves as an assistant professor in the school of history. Alongside her academic duties, she has attended numerous international conferences necessitating her presence abroad.

The conundrum arises from Dutta’s visa application history. She first arrived in the UK in 2012 on a student visa before transitioning to a spouse visa as the dependent of her husband, Dr Souvik Naha, who is a senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow and was granted a visa through the “global talent” route. Despite having been married for over a decade and sharing a life in south London, the Home Office dismissed her claim to remain in the UK, citing both her foreign travels and the lack of established family life — a point met with disbelief given her lengthy residency and marital status.

In communications received from the Home Office, Dutta was advised: “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.” This letter came as a shock to Dutta, who remarked to The Guardian, “I never thought something like this would happen to me.” She added, “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.”

Her legal representative, Naga Kandiah from MTC Solicitors, emphasised that the research trips were integral to fulfilling her academic 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,” he stated.

Dutta’s case has drawn attention not only due to its immediate implications for her career but also as part of a broader troubling trend affecting academics in the UK. Other researchers have faced deportation or visa challenges on similar grounds, reflecting significant obstacles in the current immigration landscape for those involved in global scholarship. Dr Miwa Hirono, for instance, previously faced deportation after spending more than 180 days abroad in her work as a government adviser, despite her contributions to UK policy.

In light of these developments, Dutta has initiated a legal challenge against the Home Office’s ruling, and they have indicated they will reconsider her application within the next three months. However, there remains the possibility that they will uphold their original decision after this review period.

As the academic landscape grapples with these issues, Dutta’s situation highlights growing concerns about the hostile immigration environment in the UK and its potential impact on attracting and retaining highly skilled international researchers. Academic colleagues, including her husband, have expressed distress over the psychological toll this process has taken on their lives, as noted by Naha, who stated, “This decision from the Home Office has been terribly stressful for both of us.”

The Home Office has refrained from commenting on the specifics of individual cases, maintaining their stance on privacy and procedural integrity in their decision-making process.

Source: Noah Wire Services