A MAN adopted from the United States by British parents more than two decades ago says he has been “left in limbo” after being refused British citizenship, despite living in the United Kingdom since the age of two.

Donte Ragan, aged 29, was adopted from St Louis, Missouri, and brought to Cornwall by his British adoptive parents, from whom he is now estranged.

He grew up in Camelford, where he attended secondary school until Year 11, later serving as a town councillor between 2023 and 2025.

Mr Ragan believed he held the right to live and work in the country. However, his immigration status came into question during the coronavirus pandemic when he applied for a job at a testing centre and was informed that his paperwork did not confirm his eligibility to work.

Following this discovery, Mr Ragan applied for and was granted “leave to remain” for a period of two and a half years, which provided temporary permission to live and work in the UK. He was subsequently placed on a ten-year route toward indefinite leave to remain, a pathway that can eventually lead to citizenship.

Unsatisfied with his temporary status, Mr Ragan sought to secure full British citizenship, which he felt reflected his lifelong ties to the country.

In October 2024, he submitted an application to the Home Office under exceptional circumstances. However, the application was rejected on the grounds that his situation did not meet the criteria for exceptional consideration.

Mr Ragan believes that the difficulties with his application arise from errors made at the time of his adoption.

He claims that his adoption was never properly registered in the UK, leaving him without the necessary documentation to support his claim for citizenship. As a result, he remains unable to prove his right to work or access state benefits.

Now residing in Redruth and currently unemployed, Mr Ragan’s leave to remain has expired, placing him in a state of uncertainty. “I am extremely stressed and anxious,” he said. “I have an eight-week-old daughter, and I do not want this situation to affect her. I have been raised in this country, I am fully integrated into society, and yet I am being treated as if I do not belong here. It feels like a violation of my human rights.”

He added: “At present, I am staying as a guest in a property I previously rented. I have no income and I am unable to work. I have exhausted every option available to me, but I am effectively stuck.”

Mr Ragan explained that the issue first came to light when he began a trial shift at a coronavirus testing centre and was informed that his American birth certificate and identification rendered him ineligible to work. That incident triggered a series of legal and administrative challenges that continue to affect his life.

He now faces an uncertain future, unable to secure employment or confirm his right to remain in the country.