UK Border Agency actually does its job sometimes!!!!

A MUM whose 15-month-old daughter is stranded thousands of miles away in Malawi is desperately trying to get her home.

Sarah Blore's daughter, Amber, travelled to the country in June with Sarah's mother, who lives there.

Sarah, a single mother who lives in Basford, was unable to travel because of an illness and thought it would be an ideal way for Amber to spend some time with her family in Malawi.

Sarah's sister, Medda Mbepula, was due to bring the child back to the UK a couple of weeks ago but was denied a visa.

The UK Border Agency said there was not enough evidence to suggest Ms Mbepula intended to travel back to her home country after bringing the child back.

Sarah said they had also refused the visa because her sister only had £250 spending money, even though she had only intended to stay for two weeks. Now Sarah, who is originally from Malawi, is considering making the journey to bring her daughter back – in spite of being medically unfit to travel.

She said: "The thing that really gets me is how they'd expect Amber to come back and how they say I'm not ill enough to travel. Who makes that judgement?

"She's a British citizen, she's supposed to be here – who's supposed to protect her?

"I am just disgusted as to how my child's been unprotected by her consulate.

"They are not bothered about it. What does being British really mean if she cannot be protected by her consulate?"

After being refused a visa to bring Amber home, Sarah's sister and mother took Amber to the British Embassy in Malawi with the visa documents and passports.

She said: "My mother explained everything at the embassy, they were not really bothered. My mother was told there was nothing she could do but appeal. An appeal takes about eight months to come through."

A UK Border Agency spokesman said: "Every application is carefully considered on its own merits and Ms Mbepula's case is no exception.

"The immigration rules for visitors are clear and it is important an applicant provides sufficient evidence of funds and sufficient ties to their home country to demonstrate they will return at the end of their proposed stay.

"If Ms Mbepula is not satisfied with the decision, she can apply to have it independently reviewed by an immigration judge."