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11:00am Sunday 12th February 2012 in News
By Tara Russell, News Reporter
A TALENTED cricket player and coach at the centre of a deportation row has won his right to stay in the UK.
South African born Cameron Grierson feared he would be forced to leave Southampton where he has lived with his family since he was 13 after his visa application was rejected by the UK Border Agency.
The decision comes just nine days after the Daily Echo highlighted Cameron’s plight and his his plea to stay with his family.
The 22-year-old, who plays Southern League cricket for Lymington Cricket Club and coaches children across the county, was ordered to report to a police station where he was “liable to be detained.”
The decision sparked outrage among the cricket community and at Totton College where Cameron, who suffers from severe dyslexia, takes adult classes.
But Cameron can now stay in Upper Shirley where he lives with his 27-year-old sister Kelly, brother Keagen, 19, and mum Amanda, who is a British citizen.
Citizenship He has been granted a three-year visa, after which he will then be eligible for citizenship status.
Cameron, said: “I would truly like to say thank you to everyone whose support has made this whole process so much easier.”
Mum Amanda, who works in Lymington, got the news on her birthday.
She said: “I would like to say this is purely because of the Daily Echo. It is because of the outpouring we’ve had from everyone who read the article.”
Cameron was born in South Africa but left when he was just six when his family moved to Zambia then Botswana before coming to the UK in 2003.
Cameron was granted leave to enter the UK as a dependant on his mother’s ancestry visa. But when he applied for further leave to remain in the UK in 2010, administrative errors meant his application was returned and each subsequent application was rejected.
The Border Agency said they would not be releasing a statement on the case but confirmed Cameron will not face deportation.
Comments(13)
Torchie1
says...
3:14pm Sun 12 Feb 12
sarfhamton
says...
5:17pm Sun 12 Feb 12
Torchie1 wrote:Please can we stop using every story to bash muslims?
It makes you proud to be a UK citizen when the effort involved in trying to throw out a decent hard working citizen is matched by the effort involved in keeping a muslim terrorist who hates the West, in a free home and the prospect of a lifetime on benefits.
andysaints007
says...
5:25pm Sun 12 Feb 12
sarfhamton wrote:Well said Torchie !!!
Torchie1 wrote:Please can we stop using every story to bash muslims?
It makes you proud to be a UK citizen when the effort involved in trying to throw out a decent hard working citizen is matched by the effort involved in keeping a muslim terrorist who hates the West, in a free home and the prospect of a lifetime on benefits.
This is a positive story about a family being able to stay together, just be happy for them.
likewatchingbrazil
says...
6:03pm Sun 12 Feb 12
andysaints007 wrote:like it or not sarf torchie is totally right.
sarfhamton wrote:Well said Torchie !!!Torchie1 wrote: It makes you proud to be a UK citizen when the effort involved in trying to throw out a decent hard working citizen is matched by the effort involved in keeping a muslim terrorist who hates the West, in a free home and the prospect of a lifetime on benefits.Please can we stop using every story to bash muslims? This is a positive story about a family being able to stay together, just be happy for them.
Condor Man
says...
6:09pm Sun 12 Feb 12
sarfhamton wrote:quite! I know loads of Muslims and none are hook handed militants. I think it's a strength of this great nation that we can accommodate others.
Torchie1 wrote:Please can we stop using every story to bash muslims?
It makes you proud to be a UK citizen when the effort involved in trying to throw out a decent hard working citizen is matched by the effort involved in keeping a muslim terrorist who hates the West, in a free home and the prospect of a lifetime on benefits.
This is a positive story about a family being able to stay together, just be happy for them.
likewatchingbrazil
says...
6:20pm Sun 12 Feb 12
Condor Man wrote:read torchie's post again, it is a terrorist he talks about not your normal muslim, we should all feel the same against terrorists.
sarfhamton wrote:quite! I know loads of Muslims and none are hook handed militants. I think it's a strength of this great nation that we can accommodate others.Torchie1 wrote: It makes you proud to be a UK citizen when the effort involved in trying to throw out a decent hard working citizen is matched by the effort involved in keeping a muslim terrorist who hates the West, in a free home and the prospect of a lifetime on benefits.Please can we stop using every story to bash muslims? This is a positive story about a family being able to stay together, just be happy for them.
loosehead
says...
9:51pm Sun 12 Feb 12
Torchie1
says...
11:12pm Sun 12 Feb 12
loosehead wrote:Loosehead, I would agree with your post if the law was applied even handedly. The UK legal system seems to have a strange way of approaching cases where it sees the useless dangerous drain on society as an asset to be retained and the working contributing useful member as something to get rid of. One who came here illegally after fleeing the mayhem he created in Jordan, openly hating the West and showing no desire to support his extended family who live entirely on benefits paid from your taxes. The other could have been in the UK quite legally if he hadn't made a paperwork error, works, pays taxes and is no danger to the country. The UK seems determined to keep one and I'm suggesting the authorities have made the wrong choice.
Sorry but this guy is South African has a South African & should live in South Africa.
His mother could have applied for a British passport before he was eighteen & could have declared his British Nationality at the British embassy all she needed to do was declare her British Passport.
This is the way in Thailand & at Eighteen he /she would have to choose between British or Thai nationality.
He is an illegal & like all the other illegals he should be repatriated.is he in danger of losing his life? if not he can't claim asylum.
No matter what good he's doing he should go back!
He's not a muslim extremist & can't be compared to one but he is an illegal & with nearly three million unemployed I find it wrong letting him or any illegal stay in this country
loosehead
says...
7:53am Mon 13 Feb 12
Torchie1 wrote:I agree with you but the echo has made a song & dance about what was an error by his mum & then by himself.
loosehead wrote:Loosehead, I would agree with your post if the law was applied even handedly. The UK legal system seems to have a strange way of approaching cases where it sees the useless dangerous drain on society as an asset to be retained and the working contributing useful member as something to get rid of. One who came here illegally after fleeing the mayhem he created in Jordan, openly hating the West and showing no desire to support his extended family who live entirely on benefits paid from your taxes. The other could have been in the UK quite legally if he hadn't made a paperwork error, works, pays taxes and is no danger to the country. The UK seems determined to keep one and I'm suggesting the authorities have made the wrong choice.
Sorry but this guy is South African has a South African & should live in South Africa.
His mother could have applied for a British passport before he was eighteen & could have declared his British Nationality at the British embassy all she needed to do was declare her British Passport.
This is the way in Thailand & at Eighteen he /she would have to choose between British or Thai nationality.
He is an illegal & like all the other illegals he should be repatriated.is he in danger of losing his life? if not he can't claim asylum.
No matter what good he's doing he should go back!
He's not a muslim extremist & can't be compared to one but he is an illegal & with nearly three million unemployed I find it wrong letting him or any illegal stay in this country
Linesman
says...
9:57am Mon 13 Feb 12
Torchie1 wrote:But if the cricketer had been a muslim, and found himself in similar circumstances, would you have expressed the same opinion?
It makes you proud to be a UK citizen when the effort involved in trying to throw out a decent hard working citizen is matched by the effort involved in keeping a muslim terrorist who hates the West, in a free home and the prospect of a lifetime on benefits.
Torchie1
says...
10:28am Mon 13 Feb 12
Linesman wrote:Don't presume to tell me what I would or would not think. If one had been an IRA terrorist and the other a Muslim cricketer I would still have argued against the terrorist. You should accept that other people have some flexibility in their thinking and don't automatically toe the party line without question. Try it some time, you may find the concept quite liberating.
Torchie1 wrote:But if the cricketer had been a muslim, and found himself in similar circumstances, would you have expressed the same opinion?
It makes you proud to be a UK citizen when the effort involved in trying to throw out a decent hard working citizen is matched by the effort involved in keeping a muslim terrorist who hates the West, in a free home and the prospect of a lifetime on benefits.
I very much doubt it.
Amazing how the colour of a person's skin and their faith can colour another's opinion.
loosehead
says...
12:16pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Torchie1 wrote:Torhie the problem with what you've been saying is an illegal alien(immigrant) shouldn't be working & wouldn't be working if they weren't here illegally.
Linesman wrote:Don't presume to tell me what I would or would not think. If one had been an IRA terrorist and the other a Muslim cricketer I would still have argued against the terrorist. You should accept that other people have some flexibility in their thinking and don't automatically toe the party line without question. Try it some time, you may find the concept quite liberating.
Torchie1 wrote:But if the cricketer had been a muslim, and found himself in similar circumstances, would you have expressed the same opinion?
It makes you proud to be a UK citizen when the effort involved in trying to throw out a decent hard working citizen is matched by the effort involved in keeping a muslim terrorist who hates the West, in a free home and the prospect of a lifetime on benefits.
I very much doubt it.
Amazing how the colour of a person's skin and their faith can colour another's opinion.
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Goldenwight says...
12:33pm Sun 12 Feb 12
Isn't that the greatest headline since 'Nobody hurt in small earthquake?'