Indian Historian at Oxford Faces UK Deportation Over Research Trips

Manikarnika Dutta's application for permanent residency was denied due to exceeding overseas travel limits, despite her academic contributions and long-term UK residency.

Manikarnika Dutta, a historian affiliated with the University of Oxford, faces deportation from the UK for exceeding the permissible number of days abroad under immigration rules.
Dutta's research trips to Indian archives and international conferences were essential for her academic obligations, according to her lawyer.
Her application for indefinite leave to remain in the UK was rejected, while her husband's application was approved despite their long-term marriage and shared life in London.
The Home Office cited both her extended time abroad and a lack of 'family life' in Britain as reasons for the rejection, despite her decade-long residency in the UK.
A legal appeal has been filed, and the Home Office has agreed to reconsider its decision within three months, leaving Dutta in a state of uncertainty.