9-year-old India chess prodigy asked to leave UK
Shreyas Royal, a 9-year-old chess prodigy, and his family have been sent a letter by the UK Home Ministry, asking them to leave the United Kingdom by September 10. Born in Bengaluru, Shreyas has been living in the UK since he was 3, but his father's work visa expires soon. Some England MPs have written to the Home Secretary to reconsider this decision.
Father asked to earn more by the government
His father, Jitendra Singh, has been asked to leave unless he starts earning more than £120,000 per year. Singh, an IT manager, who works for TCS, has said that earning such an amount is impossible for him. The English Chess Federation has also written to the Home Secretary's office, urging them to let Shreyas stay in the country.
His spectacular achievements
For a boy of 9, Shreyas has an incredible FIDE rating of 1,966. He is currently the world's youngest Candidate's Master and the 4th best player in the world in his age group. He was also given the rare honor of making the first move in a match featuring champion Magnus Carlsen, an honor usually reserved for world leaders or other senior officials.
British MPs have raised their voices on his behalf
English MP Rachel Reeves has spoken out on behalf of Shreyas. In a letter to UK Home Secretary David, she has said that "He won a silver medal for England at the Under-8 European Championship. However, English chess stands to lose Shreyas' considerable talents in September when his father's visa eligibility is due to expire".
Actor John Cleese, co-founder of Monty Python, has supported Shreyas
In the matter of the impending deportation of chess prodigy Shreyas Royal and his parents, the family cannot extend their visas because the father earns less that £120,000 per year
— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) August 4, 2018
It is characteristic of this dreadful government that they put money before talent
