In Songlines issue #150, we looked at the plight of Glasgow-born, London-based Afro-jazz singer Bumi Thomas, who was denied indefinite leave to remain in the UK after discovering that she did not qualify for birthright citizenship. Instead, she was threatened with deportation to her parents’ country, Nigeria. Since then, a positive outcome: on October 23, a judge ruled that to remove Thomas from the UK would be against the public interest, saying “I am of the view that the appellant’s life is in this country where she has made a valuable contribution.” Thomas played her first concert since the decision by joining Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi at the Royal Festival Hall on November 22. Thomas’ case gained much exposure from the media and resulted in petitions and crowdfunding for legal fees due to her recognition as a musician. How many others are in the same, unfair situation who cannot benefit from such public visibility?
Photo: Bumi Thomas, by Emre Levent Malkoc.