Albert Thompson, the Windrush victim who was denied NHS cancer care, is to be granted indefinite leave to remain, his lawyers have confirmed.
Thompson was told he would have to pay £54,000 for the radiotherapy treatment he needed for prostate cancer because he could not provide officials with sufficient documentary evidence that he had lived in the UK continuously since arriving from Jamaica as a teenager in 1973.
Despite having tax and national insurance records going back decades, the 63-year-old had been struggling to prove he had the right to remain in the UK.
His solicitors confirmed on Thursday that the home secretary, Amber Rudd, had said Thompson would be granted indefinite leave to remain. The development came after doctors confirmed he would also receive radiotherapy treatment free of charge.
Thompson (not his real name) has said the Home Office knew about his problems for years and the recent action was “all down to media noise”.
Jeremy Bloom, of Duncan Lewis Partners, said: “Until we see the grant of leave and discuss with officials, we won’t know exactly where this leaves our client. However, this sounds like an excellent result.
“It is a real relief, particularly as it follows so quickly after the confirmation by the Royal Marsden [hospital] that he will be provided with radiotherapy treatment free of charge and on the NHS.
“Our concern remains for others who may be in situations like Mr Thompson, but who do not have the benefit of the media and parliamentary attention that his case has attracted.”
Thompson’s constituency MP, Labour’s Chuka Umunna, also confirmed the granting of indefinite leave to remain on Twitter.
Whilst this is welcome, he should never have been treated in this cruel and degrading way in the first place.
— Chuka Umunna (@ChukaUmunna) April 26, 2018
There is no doubt about it; the chain of causation in this case goes all the way to the Prime Minister and the decisions she made as Home Secretary. (2/2)
