Opelo moved to the UK when she was 13 years old from Botswana, along with her mum Florence who was fleeing an abusive relationship and completing studies.

Eight years later in 2010 they were moved to Stoke-on-Trent by the Home Office “I applied for University and they said they saw me as an international student, I didn’t understand why, and we had to get our visas re-done. The Home Office raised a lot of problems and we had to leave and try and sort it out-that’s how we got to Stoke-on-Trent.” Due to their uncertain immigration status the Home Office did not allow Florence or Opelo to work. Opelo started volunteering for a charity and regularly at her local church’s youth group, where she has made close friends.

In May 2017 Opelo was on her way back from a weekend in Belfast with friends when she was unlawfully held in a police cell in Liverpool for two nights. Opelo recalls, “A guy from the Home Office came, he was a really horrible man, and a horrible human, he was like, “Your gonna get deported as soon as we can! You’ll be out of this country!”, she was then taken to Yarls Wood detention centre. She was not deported but released on condition she signed on every two weeks.

Opelo was detained again in January 2018. “I was going to yoga with a friend after reporting, I never got to the class. “They put me and my mum in a holding cell for over 12 hours, with three officers outside.”

During five months of detention Opelo was twice threatened with deportation. The first attempt was stopped by their lawyer and several MPs, including immigration minister Caroline Nokes’s and Stoke-on-Trent North MP, Ruth Smeeth. The second attempt was stopped by her lawyer as Opelo was taken to Heathrow in a van. In November 2018 Opelo and her mother Florence were finally granted leave to remain in the UK.

Reflecting on Stoke she says, “I really really wanted to leave. I tried my best to do so... I deliberately didn’t connect with anyone or anything in Stoke back then.” “Now that I have such a large community and a massive friendship group and people who I would consider family, I certainly now define Stoke as home. I feel am I part of Stoke and see my future here.” She adds “The people are warm and very welcoming and just want you be to a part of their family, and will do whatever it takes to make you part of the Potteries.”