Salmond calls on Smith to help family's deportation fight

Published on Sunday 19 April 2009 22:01

FIRST Minister Alex Salmond yesterday urged the Home Secretary to intervene in the case of an Indian family who face being deported from Scotland.

Mr Salmond wrote to Jacqui Smith after Swarthick Salins's application to stay in Britain was rejected.

The First Minister said that decision seemed to be "overly harsh" and he called on Ms Smith to "share the detail" of the reasons for it.

Mr Salins, 37, has lived in Scotland for nine years and studied for a PhD at St Andrews University. The married father of three, whose children were all born in Britain, hoped to get work with an aid agency and sought approval to stay in the UK.

But a judge at an asylum and immigration tribunal in Glasgow refused his application because of a rule breach.

Mr Salins's bank balance fell to 721.23 last September and Home Office rules state that people who appeal to stay in the UK must have at least 800 in savings for three months before they apply.

Mr Salmond told Ms Smith he hoped she would be "able to intervene in this case to rectify what appears to have been an overly harsh interpretation of the legislation".

In his letter the First Minister told the Home Secretary: "I would greatly appreciate you reviewing the case and sharing the detail and the reasoning behind the decision with me."

Mr Salins is planning to lodge an appeal against the decision at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.