Orphan granted leave to remain in UK as deportation threat lifted after Church intervention

Giorgi Kakava has been told he will be able to stay in Glasgow with his grandmother Ketino Baikhadze and continue his education until he is nearly 18.

Mrs Baikhadze’s daughter Sopio fled Georgia for Scotland seven years ago and was awaiting the outcome of an appeal for asylum in the UK when she died in February after a long illness.

That left Mrs Baikhadze as the legal guardian of her grandson with the threat of deportation hanging over them but after a community campaign they have been granted leave to remain.

More than 70,000 people signed an online petition calling for the Home Office to allow them to stay in Glasgow and the schoolboy’s case was raised in the House of Commons by local MP Paul Sweeney.

Prime Minister Theresa May promised that Home Secretary Sajid Javid would take a fresh look at it while First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she hoped the Home Office would treat the case with “compassion and common sense”.

Giorgi Kakava (centre), who has been granted leave to remain in the UK, just months after the death of his mother. The 10-year-old will be able to stay in Glasgow with his grandmother Ketino Baikhadze and continue his education until he is nearly 18

Members of Springburn Parish Church were told of the decision on Monday at a service to dedicate a tree and bench to Sopio led by Rev…