A decorated historian, an Oxford alumna, and a researcher dedicated to unearthing India’s colonial past—Manikarnika Dutta never imagined she would be fighting to remain in the country she has called home for over a decade. Yet, a bureaucratic technicality threatens to uproot her life and academic career.
A scholar under threat
Manikarnika Dutta, 37, an assistant professor at University College Dublin, is facing deportation from the UK after the Home Office deemed her ineligible for indefinite leave to remain (ILR). The reason? Her extensive research trips to India, where she accessed critical archives for her work on British imperial history, exceeded the maximum number of days allowed abroad under UK immigration rules, reported the Guardian.
Dutta, who moved to the UK in 2012 for a master’s degree at the University of Oxford, later pursued doctoral research and held positions at Oxford and the University of Bristol. Her academic commitments necessitated travel, yet those very commitments are now being used to justify her removal.
A technicality with huge consequences
UK Home Office rules allow ILR applicants to spend a maximum of 548 days outside the country over a 10-year period. Dutta exceeded this by 143 days—an overage caused by essential research trips and international conferences. Despite her argument that these trips were integral to her role, the Home Office ruled against her, reported the Guardian.
Adding to the controversy, her husband, Dr Souvik Naha, a senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow, was granted ILR under the same application process, while Dutta was rejected. The Home Office further argued that she does not have a family life in Britain, despite being married and residing in London with her husband for over 10 years.
The shock and fallout
“I was shocked when I got an email saying I have to leave,” Dutta told The Observer. “I have spent the majority of my adult life in the UK. I never thought something like this would happen to me.”
Her lawyer, Naga Kandiah, has launched a legal challenge against the decision, emphasizing that her travel was not personal but essential for fulfilling academic responsibilities. The case has sparked an outcry in academic circles, with many arguing that the UK’s approach risks alienating top-tier global scholars.
A systemic issue?
Dutta is not alone. Other academics have faced similar issues, raising concerns that UK immigration policies are failing to accommodate the realities of academic research. Experts warn that such rigid rules could discourage global talent from considering the UK as a long-term base for research and innovation.
For now, the Home Office has agreed to review her case over the next three months. But Dutta remains in limbo, unsure of whether she will be allowed to continue her career in the UK or forced to leave the country she has called home for more than a decade.
A Home Office spokesperson stated: “It is longstanding government policy that we do not routinely comment on individual cases.” However, the implications of Dutta’s case extend far beyond her personal situation, raising urgent questions about the UK’s commitment to retaining world-class academic talent.
