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 Damilola Ajagbonna, the brilliant Luton teenager whose life is on hold because the Home Office want to deport him as undesirable alien, says he has been “humbled and heartened” by the huge response to coverage of his plight.
But while friends and family have been rallying to his cause, there is still no news at all about his appeal.
Nigerian-born Damilola came to this country as a boy of 10. His father had deserted the family and his mother was suffering from sickle cell disease. So he was sent to stay in London with his aunt, Ann Monu-Ashley, a British-born nurse, and her husband Bill, who works for Tesco.
Ann and Bill were unable to have children of their own and welcomed Dami with open arms. Ann weeps as she says he is more than a son to her. “He’s my friend, he’s my everything. He’s got a wisdom beyond his years that he’s unaware of. He has an old mind,” she says. “We need all the help we can get.”
The couple, who moved to Mangrove Road, Stopsley, 18 months ago, blame themselves for the situation the family faces. They had started the adoption process but never followed up when their solicitor was jailed for fraud.
It was only when Damilola’s university application forms arrived that they realised there was a problem with his nationality.
Had he arrived in this country six weeks earlier than he did, he would have been allowed to become a naturalised citizen.
Dami has totally immersed himself in British culture. He has worked hard and excelled at everything he’s done, achieving stellar GCSE results and working tirelessly for charity. He’s an administrator at his local evangelical church, the Faith Palace Christian Church and is a self-confessed bookworm.
The modest, self-effacing student is not at all comfortable with the undesired attention that has been focused on him.
He says: “Although I’m very grateful for the help and interest. I don’t want to become a minor celebrity. It’s not my idea of something worthwhile in my life.”
Right now the interminable waiting for the letter that will decide his fate has left him at his lowest ebb. He says: “I’m just moving along. I don’t have much option apart from waiting and waiting and waiting some more.”
The first time his school wrote to the Home Office on his behalf they were promised a reply within nine weeks. It took seven months – and when it came, it was bad news.
Dami appealed and the judge at the Immigration Tribunal told him: “Your contribution to youth society can be described only as extraordinary.” Yet the Home Office rejected his case again.
At the beginning of September, Damilola applied to the Immigration Tribunal for a reconsideration. He was told they would get back to him within 14 days, after which he would know whether he could appeal to a higher court. All he has heard is an ominous silence.
Attempts to set up a petition in support of Damilola on the 10 Downing Street website have been ruled out by officials.
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