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Minister stands up for popular teacher's bid to stay in Britain
Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor8 Jun 2009
An "irreplaceable" language teacher who is fighting deportation by the Home Office has won the support of a government minister.
Farhan Zakaria, who taught French and Bengali at the Sarah Bonnell School in Stratford, is due to be sent back to Bangladesh - where he has spent less than five years of his life - after being refused leave to remain in Britain and losing a succession of appeals.
The Home Office insists he has been living in London unlawfully since 2000 after the visa on which he and his family entered Britain expired.
But Mr Zakaria's constituency MP, Stephen Timms, has intervened, praising the 28-year-old as "a unique asset" and calling on immigration minister Phil Woolas to override the rules.
Mr Timms, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, has written to Mr Woolas to say Mr Zakaria was a valuable teacher at the specialist language college for girls until the Home Office's declaration forced his dismissal.
He said his departure was a "serious blow" to the school's efforts to raise pupils' achievement.
"Mr Zakaria was a unique asset because he was a UK qualified - and very good - French teacher and also an excellent Bengali teacher," Mr Timms wrote. "The school feels his loss very deeply. Would it be possible to reconsider granting Mr Zakaria leave to remain so that he can return to his important and successful work?"
Today Mr Zakaria, whose case was reported last year by the Evening Standard, said he was "more optimistic" of staying and that Mr Timms's intervention was a crucial boost.
"He is a high-level minister and he understands my value to the school. It's still difficult to live without a job but I am more hopeful now and think that there might be some progress," he said.
Mr Zakaria, who lives in Forest Gate, came to Britain in 1996 when his father, Mohammed, worked at the Bangladesh High Commission in London.
Their visa expired when his father left his job in November 2000, but Mr Zakaria remained, as did his father, 59, mother Shaheara, 49, and brother Yahya, 31.
An immigration tribunal and an appeals panel said Mr Zakaria should have applied for a new visa in 2000, but he insists he did not realise his visa was not indefinite.
Reader views (12)
To the readers that object to Mr Zakaria staying, one complains that he should learn to read English, well your English language is not so great. No where either is it indicated that he is using the race card. This is a multi-cultural society and he was working in a school that gained benefit from his origin and he is a great teacher. He works hard and pays his way. So many "British" people don't do half of that. I wonder if you make all your decisions so "black and white". People make genuine mistakes - not all people are bad and try to abuse the system. What I say is falling on deaf ears as I can tell by your attitude.
- Anna, London, England, 09/06/2009 13:24
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"he insists he did not realise his visa was not indefinite"
Perhaps he should learn to read English first!
How many more people are in the country who shouldn't be,
because their visa has expired?
- Lb, Bromley, 09/06/2009 01:45
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We must get back to applying rules on any over stayer and send a clear signal. If his skills are needed that much deport him and allow his to apply for a work permit! Very simple if you want to reason it out instead of using the race card.
- Mike, London, 08/06/2009 23:06
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Send him back, HIS VISA HAS EXPIRED for Gods sake P Staker, London, SW8
Easy as, like we care what Mps say, he is only seeking local support for the next election cynical exploitation. kick the teacher and mp out together
- Ge, Kernow, 08/06/2009 14:24
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Thanks to Ms Lumley everyone is walking over policy now. I hope this protest was after school and not one of his lessons as it looks.
Bengali is not a skill we lack in London
- Gary, Brentwood 1, 08/06/2009 14:06
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He has proved his worth, we need well qualified language teachers especially in East London. I taught in the area for years and know how difficult the job is.
- Betty Williamson, Gavray Normandy France, 08/06/2009 13:51
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Send him back, HIS VISA HAS EXPIRED for Gods sake.
- P Staker, London, SW8, 08/06/2009 12:27
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What's the point in having rules if your local MP pulls strings to seek favour with his mates in goverment.
This guy should put his Bengali language to use in it's country of origin.
We can get real French people to teach the language here easily enough and also lawfully.
- Frank H., London UK., 08/06/2009 10:52
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I expect there are plenty of indigenous English teachers who are at least as good as this man. Lets employ our own hard pressed young people first.
- Fred, Horsham, 08/06/2009 10:30
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Sorry, but I think you'll find there is NO shortage of good French or Bengali teachers (since when was Bengali on any English curriculum?). Maybe I'm old fashioned, but teachers are supposed to set an example. Ignoring UK law is not the best start!
- Marianne, SW France/London, 08/06/2009 09:54
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How is this man "a unique asset" exactly? He teaches French and Bengali (a language I was unaware was even on the National curriculum), surely there are other French teachers who don't require Visas and if they do, can read the expiry date?
- Bob, Cheam, 08/06/2009 09:11
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"he insists he did not realise his visa was not indefinite"
The thing that would have given this away is the expiry date printed on the visa. Surely a teacher should have noticed this. If it is an “Indefinite” visa then it says indefinite.
- Gareth, London, 08/06/2009 08:45
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