Deportation...

is not imminent! I thought, given the date, I could string you all along for a bit, but decided my life might just be endangered... So, this morning's news is not really any change in status, but at least that if I am served with deportation papers they won't be the 24hrs ones, but 30 days. So we'll be here for Grannie and Grandad's visit at least! This makes me much happier really... And is found out following an update from the lawyers on what has been going on and what to do next. The definite plan is to see if we can persuade the British High Commission to request a meeting with the Minister in Dar for next week. I've just spoken to the local consul and he thinks it's probably OK - I need to send a summary of what has happened and what we propose to do for him to pass on up the ladder - but if anyone has any handy connections with the British High Commission in Tanzania or the Foreign Office to make sure they do support us, I'd be intersted to hear... It also has become clear how things came to get this far and it is, as we suspected, all down to the local immigration officer making a foolish request to folk in Dar, who just assumed he knew what he was doing and signed it off... So, still a chance we'll get turfed out (though the lawyer remains confident it won't happen, and also promises me that he'll get a resident's permit for me as part of his law firm if they actually get around to cancelling my current one!), but not imminently. Which is very good news indeed I think.