Many EU nationals spent thousands on legal fees after letters were sent out in what the PM called an ‘unfortunate error’

Calls are growing for the Home Office to reimburse the legal fees of EU nationals who sought help after being sent deportation letters in error.

MPs, lawyers and campaign groups are among those demanding urgent action from the government after some of the recipients of the letters spent more than £1,000 in legal fees.

The Home Office mistakenly sent around 100 letters to EEA nationals informing them they were at risk of detention if they did not leave the country in the next month. The prime minister, Theresa May, called it an “unfortunate error”.

The Home Office is now conducting an investigation but said it could not confirm whether those fearing deportation and who spent money on lawyers would be reimbursed.

Recipients of the letters have called on the government to cover the costs they spent on legal consultation fees, lodging appeals and going to tribunal.

“There are no words for how I feel,” said Mihaela Duta, a Romanian national who has lived in the UK since 2010. “It was the worst week of my life. It took everything I knew and turned it on its head.”

Duta spent £1,335 on legal fees, which included paying for a consultation with a solicitor, lodging an appeal and taking the case to tribunal.

“We borrowed the money from the bank. We need it back – we’re just normal people,” said Duta. “The letter breaches the law on so many levels and it’s not right that we are not paid the money back.”

The Labour MP Karen Buck called for the money to be reimbursed. She said: “We know what mistakes occur in the best of systems but given how vulnerable people feel and how fraught the environment is at the moment, the Home Office can do better. They have to understand what an impact this can have on people’s lives.”

Her words were echoed by Justin Madders, another Labour MP, who said: “If the government made a mistake and people incurred expenses as a result of that, no doubt there needs to be some recompense.”

Duta said she had complained to the European court of justice over the issue.



Her husband, Luca Tagliaferro, 37, from Portsmouth, said: “How can we live in a country without worrying about deportation every second day? How can we live in a country whose government is completely confused about what to do with Brexit? We don’t feel safe any more, neither welcome.”

Eva Holmberg, the Finnish academic who first brought the issue to public attention, is also imploring the Home Office to reimburse her, and said it was the least they could do.

“It would be quite an easy way for them to apologise. Of course it won’t give back the disruption to our lives and the week spent in worry,” she said.

Holmberg spent £3,800 overall, which included a £3,500 fee to lodge an appeal against the Home Office’s since-annulled decision.

Nick Nason, a lawyer at Edgewater Legal, and an expert on European immigration, said: “I think the Home Office should definitely consider reimbursing the recipients of these letters for any legal fees incurred while attempting to challenge them.”

James McGrory, executive director of Open Britain, said: “After their scandalous behaviour in sending deportation letters to blameless EU citizens with every right to be here, the very least the government can do is to reimburse them in full for any money they have spent on legal advice fighting for their rights.

“Common decency demands that nobody should be left out of pocket because of mistakes made by ministers.”

The Home Office said it was conducting an investigation into how these letters were sent and would not comment further. It said it was still in the process of speaking to the recipients of the letters.