Cynthia and Bright Chinule, with three children, a Nigerian family based in Leigh, the United Kingdom, UK, fears they will be kicked out of the country if they don’t raise enough money to pay for new visas. Their visas expire in 11 days.
The couple, who run Taste Africana, a popular restaurant in the town, say they have just over two weeks to raise just under £26,000 or they could be forced to return to Nigeria after six years of building a life in England.
Their financial troubles began last year after the roof of the first building their restaurant was based in suddenly caved in just two months after opening.
Luckily, they were able to find a new home just minutes away on Market Street, where they have been operating since November 11.
However, according to Bright, the financial effects mean they have been unable to keep on top of the rising cost of living, visa fees, and immigration health surcharge payments, which is a fee paid by migrants who live in the UK for more than six months.
“They’ve put up the immigration charges, health insurance used to be around £300 per year,” explained Bright.
“It’s gone all the way up to around £1,800 per person, per year. Think about me who’s got a family of five. If I add visa application fees and lawyer fees it brings everything to up to around £26k.
“The visa expires in 12 days (11 days today) so we need to at least put in an application the night before. At this stage we just don’t have the money to do that.
“The target is to get enough money to get the whole visa thing fixed to give us some peace of mind. The idea that there is a possibility of being kicked out after six years of work has drained all the peace out of me. It takes a huge toll on you, honestly.”
‘How we started’
Before opening, Taste Africana was ‘Home Food UK’, an online takeaway operating from Cynthia and Bright’s kitchen at their home on Glebe Street, after the couple moved to the area in 2021 to raise their young family.
A former maths teacher, Cynthia was the first to suggest going into the food sector when she was on maternity leave and realised she wouldn’t be able to go back to work as a teaching assistant and look after their children.
She started Home Food UK, which proved a big hit. With two master’s degrees and a career in the NHS, Bright also took the leap to support Cynthia in running Taste Africana.
But the family are now facing the possibility of restarting their lives in Nigeria should they fail to submit applications before the deadline after six years of trying to build something in the UK.
Seeks help
To help with the fees, the Chinules went on the internet to solicit funds as a last resort. Bright created a GoFundMe to raise the £25,620 with hopes that his past generosity will pay forward.
“I never thought I’d do this,” Bright wrote.
“As someone who has always tried to stand on my own, it’s not easy for me to ask for help. But with only 14 days left to secure the necessary funds, I’ve come to realize that I can’t do this alone.
“Over the years, I’ve tried to give back to the community in every way possible — offering hot meals to rough sleepers during the cold winter months, supporting struggling families with food donations, and more.
“And I promise to continue paying this kindness forward,” part of the GoFundMe read.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Our visa fees have been informed by the principle that those who use and benefit from the immigration system should contribute towards the cost of operating it, reducing the level of UK taxpayer funding that would otherwise be required.”
