https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/may/27/family-of-man-who-died-after-being-deported-blame-home-office-delaysFamily of man who died after being deported blame Home Office delays
Appeal
The family of a man who died abroad after being wrongly deported by the UK Home Office have blamed the department for causing delays that stopped him being reunited with his children.
Sudharsan Ithayachandran, 41, was deported from the UK to Sri Lanka on 24 December 2019 – his wedding anniversary – after admitting to working illegally at Tesco and using false documents.
He left behind his devastated wife, Subatra Sudharsan, 41, who is profoundly deaf, his son Priyan, nine, and daughter Priyanka, eight. All three are British citizens. His mother-in-law, Yasadora Nagendra, 60, whom he cared for, described him as “the pillar of the family”.
In an immigration tribunal ruling in November 2023, Judge Bonavero accepted his appeal – arguing that he had a right to family life in the UK with his wife and children.
The Home Office did not appeal against the ruling but delayed making arrangements to process his visa to return to the UK for several months and he was forced to remain in dangerous conditions in Sri Lanka. The family is of Tamil heritage.
It was only when Naga Kandiah of MTC Solicitors started judicial review proceedings against the Home Office about the delay that officials began processing his return to the UK earlier this month, issuing an apology letter and blaming it on backlogs in the department.
The letter said the delay was not the fault of officials. On 19 May, Ithayachandran was found collapsed at his accommodation in Sri Lanka and died after being taken to hospital. His cause of death is thought to be sepsis. His family said he was in a deep depression in Sri Lanka due to his separation from his children for almost half of their lives, and was not eating or looking after himself properly.
