The UK Government to deport seven-year-old Lachlan, whose first language is Gaelic

[Theodarzna]

A YOUNG Australian boy whose first language is Gaelic faces being kicked out of the UK later this month along with his parents, after the Home Office rejected their case to stay. Seven-year-old Lachlan Brain and his parents Gregg and Kathryn have lived in Dingwall for more than four years and the youngster has even competed at the local Mod in Inverness.

But they face being forced out of the country after their application for an interim visa was dismissed.

Lachlan told The National: “I would be really sad if I had to leave to go to Australia and I really hope that we get to stay in Scotland. My friends are here and we would all miss each other very much. I like my school, teachers and my friends who I have known from Croileagan since I was two and I don’t remember anyone from Australia, except Gramps and Pop. I don’t want to leave all my aunties, uncles and cousins in Dingwall and Strathpeffer.”

Their case is being taken up by local MP Ian Blackford, who is writing to Immigration Minister James Brokenshire. Blackford told The National: “This is utterly ridiculous. It demonstrates all the shortcomings in the UK immigration policy that people who are here and are making a contribution to our economy, and who want to stay and live here, are being forced out. “I want Mr Brokenshire to intervene and order that the family are given leave to appeal while they are in this country.”

The Brains first came to Scotland in 2001, for their tenth anniversary, and fell in love with it.

“We came over again in 2005 for a few weeks to take the holidaymakers’ glasses off to see if it could be made to work, and between 2005 and 2011 it was a case of trying to get visas and making it happen logistically,” said Gregg. “We ended up coming over on a student visa – Kathryn studied here and has just completed her degree in Scottish history and archaeology.

“Even on the university application form she described our desire to immigrate here, to do the course and stay on afterwards to work for someone like the National Trust for Scotland or Historic Scotland.”

Kathryn added: “We were responding to the 2007 Highland homecoming programme the Scottish Government were promoting in Australia, which was also backed by the Home Office. They laid out the progression you could make to come back and help repopulate the Highlands.”

Both have Scottish roots, and Kathryn’s student visa, which listed her husband and son as dependents, expired in December. Gregg had been working full-time and Kathryn had been offered a job, but they have been told they are not allowed to work here. “We thought we were Theresa May’s poster family for successful immigrant candidates. We are willing to culturally and linguistically assimilate, paying our own way, willing to live and work in a sparsely populated area and we’ve been told we have to leave,” added Gregg.

Rachel-Ann Urquhart, Lachlan’s teacher at the Gaelic Medium Unit in Dingwall Primary School said removing him from his Gaelic education would cause him to suffer “both socially and academically”.

In a letter to the Home Office she wrote: “I believe that in Lachlan’s best interests he should remain at Dingwall Primary, where he is successfully learning and achieving through the medium of Gaelic.

Source

My commentary: It is rather pathetic if the UK, and Scotlands MP's cannot retain a speaker of one of Scotlands native languages. I mean the UK, specifically Scotland is going to be asked to absorb thousands whom will never learn Gaelic, maybe not even English, but a family whom raise their kid with it as his mother tongue gets the boot? It is IMHO an absolute travesty that this family gets threatened with deportation after showing a commitment to Scotland above and beyond that of most people who go there, or even whom are born there IMHO.

[Deleted]

its in lachlans best interest to stay there, not britains - good bye!

[Underverse]

“We thought we were Theresa May’s poster family for successful immigrant candidates. We are willing to culturally and linguistically assimilate, paying our own way, willing to live and work in a sparsely populated area and we’ve been told we have to leave,” added Gregg.

Yeah there's no justification for this deportation.

[Deleted]

Yeah there's no justification for this deportation.

the justification is that they are australian citizens living illegally in britain

[Kronik85]

My commentary: It is rather pathetic if the UK, and Scotlands MP's cannot retain a speaker of one of Scotlands native languages. I mean the UK, specifically Scotland is going to be asked to absorb thousands whom will never learn Gaelic, maybe not even English, but a family whom raise their kid with it as his mother tongue gets the boot? It is IMHO an absolute travesty that this family gets threatened with deportation after showing a commitment to Scotland above and beyond that of most people who go there, or even whom are born there IMHO.

Well if you're an immigrant from outside the EU earning less than 35k then Cameron will have you deported. #InThisTogether, #WorkingBritain.

[Underverse]

the justification is that they are australian citizens living illegally in britain

Because of the shortcoming of their immigration policy. Also, legality =/= morality.

[Theodarzna]

its in lachlans best interest to stay there, not britains - good bye!

If the culture of Britain is not in its interest than Britain does not exist.

[Deleted]

Because of the shortcoming of their immigration policy. Also, legality =/= morality.

it's a shortcoming to have immigrants who don't contribute more than they take from the country to leave? britain has a duty primarily to her citizens and not keeping illegal immigrants who do not contribute more than they take is absolutely a moral decision to make

[dd614]

Should have spoken more appropriate languages like Urdu or Arabic if he wanted to be accepted for life.

[Deleted]

Should be deported on his name alone really.

[Deleted]

If the culture of Britain is not in its interest than Britain does not exist.

a child that speaks gaelic is not a cultural artifact, in fact making an exception for this child would probably spur a lot of illegal immigrants suddenly learning the language - it does not matter

[Tyrianth]

Yeah there's no justification for this deportation.

They're willing to culturally assimilate though completely disregard the British legal system. They're there illegally, that is the only justification required.

[Rukh]

Its good they got a blue eyed blonde kid to be their poster child. Might actually persuade some people.

[Deleted]

the justification is that they are australian citizens living illegally in britain

I thought no person was illegal? Or does that not extend to whiteys?

Seriously, immigrants who are working and are able and willing to socially and culturally adapt should always be welcome unless the country has a problem with overpopulation.

[Flurryfang]

Okay, this is just horrible.... These parents are the worst! They came to the country on a student visa, and then just thought that a immigration visa was a clear deal because of that. Now they have a kid, who only knows this country, yet they havent gotten things in order before they had this kid. Now the kid is getting punished because his parents had a horrible way of doing immigration.

This just gives a clear message: If you dont have a complete visa, THEN YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO LEAVE IF YOU ARE DENIED!

[Kallisto]

Source

My commentary: It is rather pathetic if the UK, and Scotlands MP's cannot retain a speaker of one of Scotlands native languages. I mean the UK, specifically Scotland is going to be asked to absorb thousands whom will never learn Gaelic, maybe not even English, but a family whom raise their kid with it as his mother tongue gets the boot? It is IMHO an absolute travesty that this family gets threatened with deportation after showing a commitment to Scotland above and beyond that of most people who go there, or even whom are born there IMHO.

No one should learn Gaelic, it's a dead language with only a few thousand speakers. It should be left to die fully replaced with a language that is world wide. Same with all other minor languages that should continue to die out one by one till we have a unified world language.

[Theodarzna]

a child that speaks gaelic is not a cultural artifact

Doesn't the UK have a commitment to Minority languages?

One particular parcel of that Charter, which the UK signed is promoting these minority languages, of which Scots-Gaelic is one.

[Tyrianth]

I thought no person was illegal? Or does that not extend to whiteys?

Seriously, immigrants who are working and are able and willing to socially and culturally adapt should always be welcome unless the country has a problem with overpopulation.

I'd rather have immigrants who are law abiding, the only place a person has the right work and live is within their own country.

[Deleted]

I thought no person was illegal? Or does that not extend to whiteys?

Seriously, immigrants who are working and are able and willing to socially and culturally adapt should always be welcome unless the country has a problem with overpopulation.

immigrants who are present in the country illegally have absolutely zero right to be here, they are illegals, illegal immigrant who may be working hard but are still taking more away from the country than they are giving - they could also work hard back in their own country where they are rightful legal citizens.

[Theodarzna]

No one should learn Gaelic, it's a dead language with only a few thousand speakers. It should be left to die fully replaced with a language that is world wide. Same with all other minor languages that should continue to die out one by one till we have a unified world language.

AH...... Well we will have to disagree on that.

All minority languages, and peoples have a right to them under numerous agreed upon charters and treaties. A one world language is never going to happen.