A Deportation Order Has Left This Barbados-Born Painter Unable To Work for 14 Years

Tony Hall, a Barbados-born painter and decorator who has lived in Britain since 1976, faces continued uncertainty over his immigration status under a deportation order (the image is for illustrative purposes only) (Credit: JAKOB ROSEN/UNSPLASH)

Tony Hall, a 62-year-old painter and decorator who arrived in Britain from Barbados in 1976, has spent 14 years unable to work or rent a home because of a deportation order. His case highlights the difficulties that can arise when historic immigration-status problems intersect with a criminal conviction.

Hall was 12 when he joined his mother and five older sisters in London. He now relies on family and friends for support and faces the prospect of homelessness. His case involves a 2001 criminal conviction and a long-running dispute over his immigration status.