Woman Married To British Man For Almost 30 Years To Be Deported From UK

A woman who has been married to a British man for almost 30 years is being held in a Scottish detention centre and is set to be deported back to her home country.

Irene Clennel, who lives in Ouston, near Chester-le-Street, in County Durham, was detained at a routine appointment at an immigration reporting centre in Middlesbrough last month.

She has been told she will be removed from the UK and sent back to Singapore. But Mrs Clennel, who first came to the UK in 1988, has built a life in England and has a husband, two sons and a baby granddaughter.


The pair have two grown up children and have spent almost 25 years living between the UK and Singapore.


They returned to Singapore for several periods in that times as both her parents were diagnosed with cancer and work commitments.

Mrs Clennel says she has spent over £2,000 on applications to remain in the country as a resident and was granted the right to stay in 2008 however renewal applications have since been refused.

Her husband said: 'It is mental torture, because of the stress. Both of her kids were born here. They are British citizens and she is the biological mother.

'I cannot see any reason why she cannot stay. I have paid more than enough taxes. She has a lot of friends here.'

A Home Office spokesman said: 'All applications for leave to remain in the UK are considered on their individual merits and in line with the immigration rules.' Nawa.