A disabled Nigerian man who has lived in the United Kingdom for nearly four decades has won his immigration appeal after a tribunal found that poor legal representation contributed significantly to his unresolved status.

Anthony Olubunmi George, 63, arrived in Britain in 1986 at the age of 24 and has not left since. Despite having no criminal convictions, he faced repeated attempts by the Home Office to remove him to Nigeria.

George’s difficulties were compounded in 2005 when his former solicitors submitted a forged entry stamp in his passport. The lawyer responsible was later struck off, but the incident cast a long shadow over his case.

In his ruling, the tribunal judge noted that George had been “destitute while in the UK” and had refrained from seeing his GP out of fear of deportation. “It is unfortunate that the appellant went on to suffer two cardiovascular attacks having refrained from going for health checks,” the judgment stated.

George, who suffered two strokes in 2019 leaving him with speech and mobility challenges, described the outcome as life-changing. “I’m so happy I don’t know what to say,” he told reporters. “My life has just begun again. Before I didn’t have hope, but now by God’s grace I can move forward with my life.”

His lawyer, Naga Kandiah of MTC Solicitors, said the case showed how systemic failures and poor legal practice had prolonged his client’s ordeal. “My client has been living in limbo for almost 40 years, has suffered two strokes and has no family left in Nigeria. His situation is not just because of Home Office policies, but also because of poor representation by previous solicitors who failed to uphold professional integrity and ethical standards,” Kandiah said.

The Home Office had argued that George could return to Nigeria and maintain contact with friends and supporters from the UK. In one rejection, officials wrote: “It’s open to your family and friends to visit you in Nigeria.”

Kandiah said repeated requests for the Home Office to review the case without forcing a hearing were denied. “Despite our several applications to the Home Office to review the matter rather than proceeding to an oral hearing, our attempts were refused again and again by the Home Office and the case went to a full court hearing. I am overjoyed with the decision. He has waited for it for almost four decades.”

George, who has no close relatives left in Nigeria, said he spent years moving between friends’ sofas and experiencing homelessness. “I don’t know how many different sofas I’ve slept on, too many to count,” he said.

The ruling brings to an end nearly 40 years of uncertainty and grants him the right to remain in the UK permanently.