The mother of a six-year-old cancer survivor has spoken of her \u201coverwhelming\u201d fear her daughter will be denied crucial treatment because of the government\u2019s immigration crackdown.<\/p>\n
The girl, from London, underwent two rounds of life-saving chemotherapy after being diagnosed at two with neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that mostly affects children.<\/p>\n
She had a tumour removed on the day of her fourth birthday and is receiving ongoing specialist care at Great Ormond Street hospital in the capital.<\/p>\n
The girl\u2019s mother, who did not want to be named, said she feared her daughter\u2019s healthcare would be stripped away as a result of the immigration changes due to come into force next month.<\/p>\n
She told the Guardian: \u201cI live in fear that one day our visa application will be rejected and the police will come and force us to go back to Togo. Here my daughter has the healthcare she needs. She can\u2019t survive in Togo. We can\u2019t go back.\u201d<\/p>\n
The girl\u2019s mother moved to Britain from Togo in west Africa with her husband for work in 2017, when he had a diplomatic posting and she worked as a cleaner.<\/p>\n
The family were due to qualify for indefinite leave to remain next year, a decade after they arrived, meaning they would no longer have to spend thousands of pounds renewing their visa every two and a half years.<\/p>\n
However, immigration changes due to come into force in April mean the family now faces another 10-year wait before being granted the status \u2013 and that any future visa applications could be rejected under the stricter rules.<\/p>\n