Brian White: Zimbabwe-born student tells of ‘shattering’ news he could lose his dream Oxford University place
A Zimbabwe-born student facing a race against time to remain in the UK has spoken of the ‘shattering’ news he could lose his dream Oxford University place.
Brian White, who won a place to study Chemistry at the university, revealed devastating news he may be deported was ‘one of the worst things that has ever happened’ to him.
The former Highfields School pupil’s story has gripped the nation, with more than 89,000 people backing the student’s bid to stay in the country and signing an online petition launched by friend Luke Wilcox, 19.
On a visit to the Express & Star offices in Wolverhampton Brian said: “To go from possibly one of the best highs ever to finding out I might not be in the country anymore, I might not go to uni, might not see my friends, it was just shattering really.
“I think [the petition has] done tremendously – 80,000 people all saying they’d like me to stay all can’t be nothing really. It’s amazing, overwhelming really.”
But the 21-year-old, who lives in Penn, credited his tough upbringing and difficulties faced in Africa for helping him persevere with the campaign to get a permanent visa.
The talented student, who was abandoned as a baby, lived in an orphanage in Zimbabwe until a missionary introduced him to British-born Peter White at the age of six. Mr White, who was working in Zimbabwe, fostered and then adopted Brian, before the family moved to Botswana when Brian was 12.
Brian was left in Africa with a family friend until he got permission to enter the UK aged 15, while Mr White lived in Penn with his wife and two sons.
The student said: “I think that’s given me a fighting spirit, a will to go on rather than just giving up at the first sign of trouble. You just can’t stop fighting.
“I have gone through loads of things and I do worry. [I’m] quite stressed most of the time. But I think with all the support I have, it’s manageable. So it’s not just me fighting alone, I’ve always got people I can rely when I need to.” The student, who has not been back to Africa for at least seven years, feared deportation would be ‘disastrous’ as he has no family or friends in his hometown.
Brian added: “I try to keep it completely out of my mind. I honestly don’t see what I’ll be doing if I was deported and I don’t think I can plan that far ahead because it’s new ground.
“[Oxford University] will give me a chance to start planning out my future again and start thinking [about] long term decisions. I get to keep my friends, keep my family around, get to meet new people, go to new places and potentially open up new avenues for my future by getting a good job.
“And possibly, giving back to the community I have been part of as well and helping other people avoid this situation if they can.
“I was absolutely astounded [when I got a place]. It was amazing to actually have made it to one of the best places in the world and I really did feel like I belonged there when I went there on interview, and I absolutely loved it.
Brian said the petition – backed by celebrities including Wolverhampton’s Beverley Knight, award-winning columnist and writer Caitlin Moran and best-selling author Philip Pullman had gone ‘absolutely crazy’ and added: “I feel like it is getting better, more hopeful since [the petition was launched].”
He said he plans to celebrate with loved ones if he gets the decision he wants About petition launching he said: “I hadn’t heard from the Home Office in about two, three months, and the last they just said was they had the application and they’re sorting it, and that didn’t really tell me anything.
“So, it was concerning that nothing had happened since.”
He said he outlined in the application to the Home Office his situation and why he needed to stay
“It’s just been one long [low] moment. I feel like I’m a lot more indecisive because I can’t really tell what I’ll be doing in about two, three months, or where I will be. So I can’t really plan for the future in any way.
“I have to take each day as it comes and try and see what I can do today, and not worry too much about tomorrow. Before I had more options.”
