Zimbabwean Orphan who was adopted in Britain and won place at Oxford with straight As now faces deportation
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Zimbabwean Orphan who was adopted in Britain and won place at Oxford with straight As now faces deportation

A campaign for a change to ‘genius’ Brian White’s immigration status has attracted more than 70,000 signatures.

A Zimbabwean orphan who came to Britain and won a place at Oxford University with straight As now faces deportation.

Brian White, 21, has lived in the UK for six years after being adopted by a family in the West Midlands.

Friends have described as a “genius” after his impressive academic results and he has been offered a place studying chemistry at Lady Margaret Hall.

But his hopes appear to have been dashed after Brian discovered he is not legally allowed to stay in the country.

Friends have launched a petition asking the Home Office to reconsider.

However, Brian and his supporters are up against the clock as his Oxford offer is due to expire.

Mr White has already had to battle plenty of adversity, growing up in a Zimbabwean orphanage until he was six.

Brian’s friends have launched a petition asking the Home Office to reconsider its decision (Image: SWNS.com)

He was later adopted from Botswana by the White family, who are from the West Midlands, and came to the UK aged 15.

Mr White’s supporters, including old school friends, have claimed that it was at that stage he should have been given indefinite leave to remain.

But he was instead given limited leave to remain.

His plight has earned backing from award-winning columnist and writer Caitlin Moran, who called him a “maths genius”, and best-selling author Philip Pullman.

Brian has been described as a ‘maths genius’ by his peers (Image: SWNS.com)

The local MP Eleanor Smith has also added her voice to the campaign.

It was when Mr White tried to take up his place at Oxford that he found he was ineligible to receive student finance because of his immigration status.

While he was able to defer his spot for a year, the deadline is now looming ahead of the start of the academic year.

If unsuccessful with his new application to the Home Office, he believes he could face deportation back to Zimbabwe if the matter is not settled.

Brian grew up in an orphanage in Zimbabwe until he was six (Image: SWNS.com)

Mr White said: “I haven’t been there in seven or eight years, I don’t know anybody there. I don’t have any connections.”

The problem first reared its head when a naturalisation application by his foster parents to become a British citizen was rejected.

At the time, and given his age, he “thought nothing of it”, he said.

It was only after studying for his A-levels, where he got three A*s and an A in triple science and maths, he found he had no legal right to settle permanently.

He said: “It’s had a massive impact and put a big question mark over my future.”

It was his school friend, 19-year-old Luke Wilcox, who launched the petition at change.org last week to publicise his friend’s plight.

Mr Wilcox, who is studying law at Bristol University, said: “It’s common sense to allow him to stay,

“So many people have said the situation is crazy.

“He’s a great friend and is going to be big asset to this country, studying and working

“We want the Home Office to show some heart and compassion, and make the right decision.”

Mr White described his friend’s petition and the support it as garnered as “wonderful”, adding “it’s crazy how much support I’ve got”.

A Home Office spokesman said: “We understand the urgency of Mr White’s case and have contacted him to reassure him that we are looking to resolve his application as soon as possible.”-Mirror

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