A French citizen residing in Leicester for over four decades confronted with deportation

An elderly chip shop owner, Leonarda Zarcone, who has lived in the UK for over 40 years, has been ordered to leave the country. Zarcone, a French citizen, applied for EU settled status after Brexit but missed the deadline to provide more information due to an email being accidentally redirected to her junk folder. The Home Office claims it made several attempts to contact her but was unsuccessful. Zarcone was shocked to discover she had lost her right to live in the UK upon returning from a trip to France. She was allowed to enter the country with a visitor stamp but now faces being detained or prosecuted, removed from the UK, or having to pay for NHS medical treatment. Zarcone has lived in the country since childhood and operated a successful fish and chip shop until her retirement. Her son, David Brunetto, submitted settlement claims for his parents along with his own application, thinking their applications had been granted. However, the Home Office required further evidence of Zarcone's continuous residence. Despite having proof of her decades-long presence, her settlement application has been rejected as "invalid" and her visitor's visa has expired. Zarcone is devastated at the prospect of being separated from her family, including her youngest daughter and grandchildren who were born in the UK. She is now seeking legal assistance to make a further settlement application. Immigration lawyer Tito Mbariti describes Zarcone's case as "shocking" and criticizes the Home Office's handling of the matter. The Home Office has not yet commented on the situation.