Dear all,

I am petitioning on behalf of a close friend, mentor and colleague of mine who is a doctor in the NHS. She is facing enforced removal from the UK in 7 days as a result of what is an extremely unjust decision by the Home Office.

She is originally from Malaysia. She graduated from Manchester Medical School and has been working as a doctor here since. She completed two years of Foundation training and a further two years of Core Medical Training and has since fully qualified as a medical registrar.

Following this, she applied for a Specialty Doctor job at a hospital in Liverpool. Unfortunately, her working visa was rejected two days ago on the basis that her application did not meet the requirements of the 'Resident Labour Market Test'. This is a process whereby a job has to be offered to a British/EU citizen before it can be offered to a migrant worker. Her visa was refused despite being able to provide evidence that the requirements were met. Her job had been vacant for many months and advertised more than once, but yet she was not allowed to fill a post which now remains vacant.

As a result, her passport has been seized and she will be liable to enforced removal from the country from 19 Oct 2017. The minimal timeframe given is almost impossible to sort out a new job or application despite her best efforts.

She is a dedicated and hardworking doctor and has spent the last 4 years of her life contributing to the NHS. Along the way, she has helped to train other junior doctors like myself. As her colleagues, we can tell how much she loves her job. She has built her life here and her house and fiancé are here. The NHS is already suffering from a national shortage of doctors, yet she is being forcibly removed from the country where she can contribute.

This story may sound familiar as sadly, her case is not unique. Just two days ago, a Malaysian doctor with the exact same circumstances also had her visa refused on similar grounds. Her campaign is here http://chn.ge/2xxXwh6 and has gathered more than 18000 signatures. Fortunately, her decision was overturned following an outpouring of public support and intervention from her local MP.

There is no common sense in deporting a highly-skilled and dedicated doctor when this is what the NHS so desperately needs. There is no justice in a dedicated doctor losing everything that she's worked so hard.

I urge all of those that disagree with this inexplicable decision and unfair treatment of a dedicated NHS doctor to sign this petition. I will be sending this petition to the Home Office and her local MP in the hope that this decision will be overturned. Please share it a widely as you can as we need all the support we can get.

Thank you very much for your help.