A South African nurse is pleading with immigration officers to let her teenage daughter stay in the UK to complete her education.

Sarah Motsemme, left, with her daughter Nthabiseng Moloi

Sarah Motsemme, 46, of Nightingale Place, Greater Leys, Oxford, wants her daughter Nthabiseng Moloi to finish her qualifications, so that she can support herself when she leaves the country.

But despite having only a few weeks of study left, immigration officers have threatened to deport the schoolgirl if she does not go back to South Africa immediately -- although a Home Office spokesman said she could apply to stay in the country.

Miss Moloi arrived in Oxford in 1999, after her father died.

There were no relatives in the family's home city of Johannesburg to look after her and, as a 14-year-old dependant, she was entitled to live with her mother, who had started work as a staff nurse at the Churchill Hospital renal ward, a few months earlier.

Despite settling at John Mason School, in Abingdon, Miss Moloi lost her right to stay in the UK on her 18th birthday, in March.

Mrs Motsemme, who has a work visa, wants her daughter to live in Oxford until she finishes an NVQ in media.

She will then return to South Africa, where she hopes to be accepted to read journalism, and live on campus, at Rhodes University, in Grahamstown.

Mrs Motsemme said: "In March we had a letter from the Home Office saying they wanted Nthabiseng to go back, otherwise they would deport her. But she doesn't have anyone to go to. I sold the house in South Africa after my husband's death.

"She's still at school here and all she wants to do is finish her education. If she goes back now, she will have nowhere to stay and would be unable to go to university.

"I have spoken to my bosses and they don't want to lose me, but they cannot help, and if my child has to go, I will have to go."

A spokesman for the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, responsible for the Churchill Hospital, said: "We're aware of Sarah's circumstances and have been trying to help her as much as we can in what is a very unfortunate situation. Sarah has been with us for the past three years and we'd be very sad to lose an experienced renal nurse.

"While we're supporting Sarah all we can, unfortunately we're unable to help with her daughter's situation. We hope the matter will be resolved satisfactorily as soon as possible."

A Home Office spokesman said: "Once children turn 18 they are not able to stay in the UK as dependents of someone on a work visa.

"Immigration officers who look at each case do have discretion, for example, if someone is ill and needs care.

"She could, of course, apply to stay in the country herself, or the family could make representations for her to stay."

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