my mother has gone mad and taken in a libyan lodger

[rainbowtoenails]

Help! I need someone who knows about immigration law. My, suspected bipolar, mother has rented out her spare room to a man who has told her he fled libya in february. I'm assuming he's an asylum seeker but doesn't that mean he has to stay in specific as accommodation? He isnt a student and isnt working so he cant be on one of tho@e visas. He is paying rent/living expenses from money he has sent to him from libya. I've told her she has to ask to see his visa. Ive told her she could get into a lot of trouble if she is harbouring an illegal immigrant but she just shrugs it off and tells me to keep my mouth shut! We have long suspected she has bipolar disorder, could this recklessness be a sign of mania? What do i do about this? . He sleeps all day and only goes out after dark so it is all very suspicious.

Yes, some people from the 'enemy' country support the opposing side, but equally so, some don't. Some might not give a flying fuck one way or another. But that is for the government to work out and monitor, not an illicit landlady or us internet wrongmoes! It's a small thing called national security.

I would not have sheltered someone from Germany, or from Spain during the time of the Armada, and anyone from Normandy during the run up to William the Bastard's invasion could have buggered off as well. I would not shelter anyone from a nation or state who has naughty intentions toward my country now, call me evil, but there it is.

a bit too lovely Lala iyswim [phew] yes the things i'm saying on this thread sound outrageous

are we at war with libya? i thought part of the reason was to help the millions of libiyans against gadaffi? so shouldnt we assume most libiyans are on our side, or we on theirs?

shes hardly harbouring a criminal.

he probably goes out at night to smoke shisha and meet friends who work in the day?

and maybe she knows his situation but wants to maintain confedentiality

Lunabelly, what makes you think he isn't being monitored?

As for Libyans having nefarious intentions towards the UK, you might have noticed that it's Britain bombing them rather than vice versa. I say this as someone who doesn't have a strong view either way about whether this is a war we should be involved in. Libya didn't really have any interest in the UK when all this started. I have no doubt someone will mention Lockerbie, but please note I'm talking about the situation in 2011. So your example doesn't really work. There is no suggestion that this was a war to protect Britain from invasion or attack.

It is of course up to you who you would allow in your home. But not really relevant, since this thread isn't about you.

Because surely if he was being monitored then they'd know about the possible benefits fraudy thing. Because, you know our government would rather spend billions on fecking missiles but claw, with a very heavy hammer, £28.50 back from vulnerable people living on the breadline.

No, you are quite right, this thread is about the concerns of the OP wrt her mum's set up - I was merely pointing out that she is NBU and that there are other concerns as well (though if you think my concerns airy fairy A) I see danger every where as I'm a card-carrying nutter and B) sometimes, just sometimes, percieved danger is actually a real danger.

Well, I haven't mentioned Lockerbie, you did that, but Lockerbie would be one of the reasons the UK wants to kick Gadaffi's arse, and waste millions we don't have to do so. But whatever the reasons "we" are in a combat situation with Libya, the fact remains that there IS a situation between them and the UK and that alone would twang my antennae, especially with his 'odd' movements. The OP feels uneasy about this situation and I she's not being unreasonable IMHO.

Nobody said there wasn't a situation between Libya and the UK. But it's the UK who are the aggressors in this instance, whatever the rights and wrongs of it. The Libyan regime's murderous tendencies are currently directed at its own people, not us. There isn't any evidence of Libya having any intention to invade the UK at all, much less the ability to do it. Whereas in your examples, invasion was a distinct possibility/had already happened.

As for OP NBU, she isn't, but not because of some national security reason. And to be fair to her, she hasn't said that's why she's worried. It's legal to rent accommodation to an asylum seeker, but there's no reason why she should be expected to know that. She's perfectly reasonable to worry that if her mum's committing benefit fraud, she might be found out. And I wouldn't want my vulnerable mother living with a man I didn't know either.

Update: ive met him now. He is younger than i thought he would be. Very quiet but polite. His comings and goings are still a bit odd though. Mum never knows if hes in or not as the door is always closed and there is never a sound from his room, even if he is in. I dont think it is a very safe set up, less because of his nationality and more because of his gender. Its not like she has a lo'k on her door so he could do anything and there would be nothing she could do. But thankfully he has told her he is leaving next month because his father wants him back in libya. Thank goodness!

OP I think you need to get a life! What business is this man's immigration status to you? I don't buy that you are concerned for your mother as your statement is about the man's immigration status rather than your mother's vulnerability. I think you are just being extremely nosy rather than being concerned for your mother. If you think she is vulnerable, then why are you not addressing the underlying issues rather than the symptoms?