The United Kingdom Home Office has wrongly told a 67-year-old blind Nigerian pensioner who has lived in Britain for 26 years that she could seek medical treatment in India, a country she says she has never visited.

The Guardian, which reported the development on Saturday, said the department was taking corrective action to issue her an updated letter after its refusal of her application for indefinite leave to remain contained the erroneous reference to India.

The woman, identified as Comfort to protect her identity, said she had no connection with India and was confused by the reference in the letter, adding, “I don’t know why the Home Office said I could go back to India. It’s a country I have never visited and have no connection with.”

According to the newspaper, Comfort arrived in the UK in 2000 and lost her sight shortly afterwards after developing acute glaucoma, and she was granted permission to remain in Britain in 2022 under the long-residence immigration route after spending more than two decades in the country.

Under the arrangement, migrants are required to renew their visas every 30 months for 10 years before becoming eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain, but following new settlement rules announced by Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, Comfort could be required to continue renewing her visa for another 20 years before qualifying for permanent residency.

Lawyers representing her through Migrant and Refugee Justice approached the Home Office seeking indefinite leave to remain immediately because of her age and disability, but the application was rejected, with the Home Office initially stating in its letter that she could return to Nigeria, where services for blind people were available.

However, the letter subsequently referred to India, stating, “Your circumstances are not so severe or lacking in potential treatment in India that it would warrant indefinite leave to remain in this case,” as Comfort insisted, “I have been living in this country for 26 years. I have found my home here and settled well,” while the head of campaigning at Migrant and Refugee Justice, Nick Beales, who is supporting her case, questioned the need to make the pensioner continue renewing her visa despite her lengthy residence in Britain.