An Italian grandmother who has lived in Britain for 42 years has been ordered to leave the UK – after a Home Office email was sent to her junk folder.
Leonarda Zarcone, 74, was born in Italy and moved to the UK as a child before living in France where she was given French citizenship.
She and her husband Marcel Brunetto moved to the UK in 1981 and settled in Leicester where they bought a traditional British fish and chip shop and raised their three children.
Applying for settled status in the UK
After Britain officially left the EU in 2020 following Brexit, she and her family applied for settled status.
Her family were all granted this but the Home Office emailed her demanding more information for her application.
How she missed the deadline
But she never read the email after it landed in her spam inbox and Ms Zarcone missed the application deadline.
Now she faces deportation
Last month she received a letter from the Home Office ordering her to leave the UK or face prosecution or even forced deportation.
Ms Zarcone, who has three grown-up children and four grandchildren, said: ‘When I opened the letter it was the shock of my life.
‘All my family and my roots are here. It’s really frightening. I have nowhere to go.
‘I moved to this country 42 years ago with my husband. We raised our three children here and ran a business together here.
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‘I have paid National Insurance, taxes and lived an honest life.
‘My family have made their lives here and my youngest daughter was born in the UK. We even support Leicester City football team, this is our home.’
Her son, David Brunetto, 51, submitted EU settlement claims for his parents along with his own online application.
Ms Zarcone believed her application had been granted because David and his father Marcel, 77, were both given settled status.
