Warwick University ask professor for immigration papers despite being a UK resident for 10 years

Warwick University have been accused of acting as a "border guard" after they demanded a Warwick professor prove her right to reside in the UK, despite the fact she's lived in the UK for over a decade.

Akwugo Emejulu, who has worked as a Sociology professor at Warwick for over a year, spoke out about her run-in with a Warwick HR employee:

"Good morning to everyone except the Warwick University HR employee moonlighting as a border guard. She asked for my papers even though I’ve had permanent residency for over a decade. Thanks for treating the university as a border crossing and making me feel unsafe at work."

The demands to prove residence come under the UK's Right to Work checks, in which employers must ensure the right of their employees to reside in this country. These checks are meant to be made in the process of employment, whereas Emejulu had been employed at the university for over a year.

Right to Work checks state that, "assumptions must not be made about a person’s right to work or immigration status on the basis of their colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins, or the length of time they have been in the UK."

In a stream of later tweets, Emejulu revealed Warwick HR had responded to her complaints saying, "we’re carrying out an audit of right to work documents. This audit applies to everyone, regardless of immigration status."

Emejulu then explained that Warwick HR had apologised to her about the situation and invited her to discuss how they "might address the issues raised."

A spokesperson for the university told The Warwick Tab:

"The university is conducting an audit of all its staff personnel files, regardless of nationality, to check that all of our documentation is up to date. In the course of that audit a member of staff was inadvertently asked to supply a document which in fact had already been furnished.

"Both the person who made the request and the Director of HR immediately sent their personal apologies to that member of staff as soon as the error was brought to their attention."