Uncontrolled immigration has been a big problem in this country for the last 50 years or so and the fact that the present government has taken steps to alleviate the situation is to be welcomed. It is now harder for people to enter the country and easier for the Government to deport those who enter illegally. However, whilst the rule of law must always be obeyed and upheld there must surely be occasions where a degree of flexibility can come into play.

The story of Yashika Bageerathi, the 19 year old Mauritian girl sent back to her country last Wednesday evening, is a case in point. She arrived in the UK in 2011 to escape abuse at home and settled well here with her mother and siblings. The immigration authorities looked into the case and after due process of law it was decided that she had no lawful right to remain in the UK. She was thus ordered to leave the UK (and her family) and return to Mauritius.

The human side to this story is that Yashika had shown herself to be a hardworking and popular pupil at her UK school and was only two months away from taking her A level examinations, arguably the most important examinations in any pupil’s life.

Both the school and the girl’s family pleaded for her to be allowed to continue her studies, take those examinations and then return to Mauritius afterwards and in fact the girl and her mother promised that she would do just that if given a stay of execution. The Government and courts said no, she had to leave straightaway and so she did, two days ago.

The Government is right; of course it is. We all want our country to be secure and for the law to be upheld but on occasion can we not show just a little imagination and, more importantly, a little compassion? Would an extra two months have made that much difference to us?