Home Office Should Allow Lizanne Zietsman Leave to Remain

That the Parliament notes with concern the decision by the Home Office to refuse Lizanne Zietsman, who is a South African national but now lives in Corrie on the Isle of Arran, the right to remain in the UK; further notes that Lizanne has lived with her husband, John Malpas, a UK citizen, on the island since 2016 but is now expected to leave the UK by 12 July 2019; is aware that Lizanne, together with her husband, owns and operates the Sandwich Station, which is one of the island’s most popular eateries; is concerned by what it sees as the Home Office’s callous assertion that Mr Malpas can simply relocate to live with Lizanne in South Africa, given that the couple’s assets are all invested in Scotland and that there are no guarantees that he would be permitted a visa to live in South Africa; is further concerned that the Home Office has, it believes, stated that Lizanne lived in South Africa until the age of 34, which it considers is not the case as she has provided travel history documents that confirm that she was born in Zimbabwe and only travelled to South Africa on occasional holidays; recognises what it sees as the invaluable social and economic contribution that Lizanne has made to the island over the past few years; deeply regrets what it considers the hostile environment that the UK Government has created for people who choose to live, work and build their lives in Scotland, and recognises the calls from many people in Arran and beyond for the UK Government to allow Lizanne the right to remain in the UK and continue living and working on the Isle of Arran.