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A Glasgow University lecturer is facing being deported back to Canada next month, despite recently being awarded a £1.32 million government research grant.

Dr Kevin Parsons, who now lives in Bearsden with his wife and two children, has been ordered to leave the country by June 11 or risk being deported by the Home Office.

Speaking exclusively to Glasgow Live, the biodiversity lecturer at the University of Glasgow revealed he had the renewal of his visa refused - only a year after being awarded a major research grant from a funding arm of the same government.

Dr Parsons now faces the prospect of having to ditch his work and family - because of what he claims to be an error by the Home Office.

To make matters worse for the lecturer, rejected applications automatically result in the loss of fees paid, that in his case amounts to £2887.

His wife, Lynne, qualifies for British citizenship and is in the process of applying, while his youngest daughter Skye was born here. His older daughter, Avery, started primary school in Bearsden.

He added that Skye was supposed to be having her birthday party the same day he is meant to be deported.

“I’ve lived in Scotland for the past five years, and when offered the job at GU we saw it as a great opportunity to come to a progressive country,” he revealed.

“My indefinite leave to remain status (ILR) was rejected due to errors made in the advice given by Home Office staff. This document is not full citizenship...but would have allowed me to stay in the UK indefinitely to continue my job as a lecturer at Glasgow University.”

According to Dr Parsons, the error was that they advised him to apply for ILR before his wife, because he is currently in the UK as a ‘dependent’ under her ancestry visa.

He added that this advice turned out to be incorrect, and instead they should have told his wife to file jointly for ILR, and then she could apply for citizenship later on.

Dr Parsons received one of the largest funding grants possible from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) in May 2016 to examine how wild population may (or may not) adapt to climate change.

The lecturer only found out about the refusal while at the immigration office on May 16, a short while after handing over his documents.

“I immediately thought that this was a mistake that they made that could be corrected by them without much issue,” Dr Parsons added.

“It then seemed to me that the immigration system was designed to create failures. So while the government doesn’t outright refuse you, they install barriers with timelines that can’t be met if anything goes wrong.”

When faced with the prospect of having to leave his family, the Canadian admitted that it “is very upsetting”.

“My current visa expires on June 11 which is the day after my youngest daughter has her birthday.

“I’m unable to make specific plans while trying to sort out my immigration issues. A lot is at stake as I will lose my right to work in the UK, which means my salary would be lost - making it impossible for me to support my family.

“This would irreparably damage my career, damage our finances and cause great emotional strain.”

He added that he hopes the support from his local MSP will help make a difference to the outcome.

“We have had amazing support from our local school and community. Especially when you live far away from family, your community is your family and we are very lucky.

“However, I find it troubling that I have to go to these lengths to resolve errors made by the Home Office. Why can’t they see that we are good people who contribute to society, and try to help us resolve it?”

Dr Parson’s issue was raised at First Minister’s Questions (FMQs) on May 18 by his local MSP Gil Paterson.

The MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie said: “The crisis facing Dr Kevin Parsons and his family needs to be resolved by as a matter of extreme urgency.

“While one arm of the Tory Government is funding scientific research he is leading, another, the Home Office, is ordering him to leave the country. Where is the sense there?

“I call on the Tory Government to sort this out - we must not lose a highly valued member of society like this through what is completely outrageous behaviour from the Home Office.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish Government would investigate further and take up the fight to ensure the academic is not torn away from his family and work.

She said: “I do not know all the details of the case...but I would be happy to look into the details and to see whether the Scottish Government can do anything to appeal to the Home Office to see sense, if that is what is required.”

When asked for a comment on the situation, a Home Office spokesman said: “We do not routinely comment on individual cases”.