Below is a letter I forced my friend Viktoria to write to you. She’s the type that won’t ask for help, the suffer in silence because it’s no one else's problem type so I’m hoping you and I can step in to restore some of her faith in our community.

Over the past 2 months I’ve watched her become broken, depressed & hope-less by the cruel destiny that our Visa laws have presented her. I’m not surprised at her reaction, to suddenly feel unwanted by the country she’s called home since 13 must be an empty, surreal and disarming twist of fate. To feel like she must build a case to justify her very being in her home must be draining and halt any plans of settling into a new chapter of life. To have to convince a jury of gatekeepers of her usefulness to this nation with her CV and extra-curriculars feels like an Orwellian scene playing out in front of us. This is a truly awful thing to do to someone and is a precise formula to exclude individuals, divide communities and strip one’s personal sovereignty and their very identity.

All those around her can’t fathom how this can actually be happening. ‘But this is her home’ is everyone’s reaction, ‘but she grew up here since 13’, we simply can’t understand why the leaders of our country would decide that she must leave. This is clearly a mistake.

As a human and a patriot, I beg that our nation does not stoop this low. All it takes for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing, so let's be the change we want to see in the world.

Over to Viktoria...

Dear Lucy Powell,

My name is Viktoria Dvoretskaja, and I am writing to seek your assistance with my application for Settled Status.

I moved to the UK in April 2011, just before my 13th birthday, as my family sought to settle in England. I attended secondary school here, where I initially struggled with the language barrier. However, I persevered and later went on to study Travel and Tourism at college, successfully completing my BTEC Level 3 qualification.

In 2016, at the age of 18, I secured my first job at Gatwick Airport, having lived in the UK for five years. Later that year, I returned to my home country for what I thought would be a brief period, but I ended up staying for two and a half years. Missing England, I returned in April 2019 and resumed my life here, securing a retail job, followed by a position at Ted Baker.

In November 2019, I mistakenly applied for Pre-settled Status instead of Settled Status, due to my absence from the UK for over two years. In 2021, I moved to Manchester and continued my work as a supervisor at Ted Baker. In 2022, my boyfriend and I decided to study abroad; he participated in an exchange program, while I pursued a course in aesthetics at a private school. Before leaving, I carefully researched the implications of studying abroad on my Pre-settled Status and understood from the government's website that I could be absent from the UK for more than six months due to my studies.

I returned to the UK on June 1, 2023, after completing my studies as a qualified aesthetician. When I applied for Settled Status, my application was unfortunately rejected. Following the advice of my solicitor, I have appealed this decision and submitted additional evidence of my studies abroad.

I am currently working full-time, contributing to society by paying taxes, and have fully integrated into life in the UK. This country is where I grew up, made lifelong friends, and adapted to the culture. I deeply wish to remain here, as England is now my home.

I am kindly requesting your assistance in supporting my case to remain in the UK. Your help would mean a great deal to me as I navigate this challenging situation.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Viktoria Dvoretskaja