‘Being in Yarl’s Wood opened my eyes to a lot of things I never knew went on in this country. That place was worse than a prison’

I was born in Mumbai and came to the UK eight years ago, aged 23, to study a foundation degree in fashion marketing and PR. Soon after I arrived, I bought a lot of new clothes from a shop in Wembley. One of the young men who worked there offered to drop my new purchases round to my flat later that day. I agreed and we exchanged numbers. It turned out he had left a little note in the pocket of one of the jackets I had bought. It said: “Stay beautiful and stay in touch.” That was the beginning of a wonderful relationship, which is still going strong.

After I completed my degree, I did an MA in fashion and business management, and then worked for a corporate company that sponsored me. I was granted a work permit until 2015. After working there for a few years, I decided to move on and secured a place on a course in autumn 2013 to qualify as a lecturer. When I left the company, the sponsorship ended with it, so before I finished there I applied to the Home Office for a new work permit.

Last year, we told our families that, after seven years, the last two living together in a rented flat, my partner and I had decided to get married. I was very excited. I had often dreamed about having a traditional Indian wedding.

Then I was told a job was waiting for me as a lecturer at the London College of Fashion as soon as my renewed work permit arrived. I was thrilled. In the application, under the “additional information” section, I mentioned that I was planning to get married to my partner, who is a British citizen.

Then, out of the blue, last October I was asked to report to the Home Office. I was taken to an interview room and left waiting for three hours. They took away my bag and my phone, so I couldn’t call my partner. I told them I had documents in my bag that proved I had an application in progress, but they weren’t interested.

I had arrived at 11.30am, and at 3.15pm they finally told me they were arresting and detaining me. I was accused of being about to enter a sham marriage so I could stay in the UK. I told them my partner was waiting outside for me and that they could go and question him if they didn’t believe me. They didn’t do that.

I was put into a locked van with bars on the windows and taken first to Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre near Heathrow and then to Yarl’s Wood detention centre in Bedfordshire. I wasn’t allowed to say goodbye to my partner before they put me in the van. I was in a state of shock and distraught.

Being in Yarl’s Wood opened my eyes to a lot of things I never knew went on in this country. That place was worse than a prison. There were so many women who, like me, were innocent of any crime, but had been locked up. Many tried to kill themselves. There were four roll calls a day and life was monotonous, with only a gym and a library to occupy us. I was very frustrated.

Some women were just shells of their former selves by the time they were released. My partner found a barrister who argued that my detention was unlawful because I had an application under consideration by the Home Office and was involved in a genuine relationship. Thankfully, I was let out after seven weeks. During that time, my partner visited me 15 times and did everything he could to support me.

The day I was eventually released felt strange. I couldn’t believe I was finally free, and felt paranoid that the Home Office was just going to arrest me again. I’m in limbo now, while I wait for a decision on the legal challenge, and I’m not allowed to work until things have been resolved.

It is deeply distressing that officials accused me of having a fake relationship with the man I love and have spent the last seven years of my life with. But this ordeal has made our relationship even stronger. The battle is not over. We are continuing with our wedding plans and together we will keep fighting.

• As told to Diane Taylor.

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