Campaigning consultant Dr David Nicholl hopes new Home Secretary Sajid Javid may bring new hope to deported doctor case

Dr David Nicholl, a consultant neurologist, has spoken out about the case of Dr Syed Kazmi - a junior specialist doctor at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham who was deported to Pakistan, along with his British born daughters, earlier this year after the Home Office refused to renew his visa.

A HMRC tax issue linked to a former business venture - which is reported to have been settled without any criminality - is being blamed for the Home Office's decision not to renew the visa.

But Dr Nicholl argues: "It was over a minor paperwork issue."

He believes the government needs to rethink its stance towards skilled non-European workers on Tier 2 visas to avoid any further cases such as this and to help alleviate the staffing crisis facing the NHS.

He said: "There has to be action on tier 2 visas. These are highly skilled migrants who create tax who treat people's mums and dads.

"When there's an NHS crisis you don't deport doctors. I personally know of three other similar cases.

"It's a very real and present problem at the moment.

"People are getting mixed up with illegal and legitimate migrants - if you can't tell the difference you shouldn't be doing that job."

Dr Nicholl said he met with his MP Mr Javid in January to talk about the issue - but he hopes now that the Bromsgrove MP has been promoted from Housing, Communities and Local Government Minister to Home Secretary, following Amber Rudd's departure, that he may bring new hope to the case of Pakistan-born Dr Kazmi who had been working for the NHS for about nine years.

Dr Nicholl said his friend would return to the UK tomorrow to continue working for the health service, if permitted, he added: "The NHS would break if it weren't for migrants."

More than 35,000 people signed a petition on change.org calling for the respected doctor to be allowed to stay in the UK.