By David Clegg

DUNDEE EAST MP Stewart Hosie made urgent contact with the Home Office yesterday in a last ditch attempt to keep the Broughty Ferry woman at the centre of an immigration wrangle in the country.

Josie Pasane (25), who has lived in the area for seven years, is fighting to stay in Scotland with her sister and mother after immigration officials refused her application for permanent residency.

The Abertay University graduate has been told that she must return to South Africa.

Yesterday Mr Hosie sent a letter to Liam Byrne, Minister of State at the Home Office.

“Along with the letter, I faxed the front page of The Courier on June 14, which indicates the level of anger this decision has provoked within the local community,” he said.

“The Pasane family are well known in the area and known also for their involvement in the local church, and this decision to dismiss her appeal has been met with bewilderment by the family, friends and the wider community.”

Mr Hosie added, “It appears to me that this was, at worst, a simple error in form completion and should not result in such a terrible outcome for this family.”

He was speaking after it emerged Josie’s lawyer believes all legal options have been exhausted and she is now “at the mercy” of the Home Office.

“I met with my lawyer today and what he told me is it is now just a matter of waiting on what the Home Office does because I am completely at their mercy,” she said.

“We will have to wait and see if they review the decision and allow me to remain.

“I have five days to make a legal appeal to challenge the decision, but we don’t believe we have a legal argument.

“He hopes by the end of the week we will know what will happen next.”

The news has sent shockwaves through the community, where the family are well known for their involvement in the Broughty Ferry New Kirk.

A petition organised by the Rev Catherine Collins generated more than 150 signatures in one day.

Mr Hosie added, “I have spoken to Rev Collins, who is likely to be organising a petition to the Home Office this week, and I believe that this will have an overwhelming response when it becomes available to the wider community through shops and other venues in Broughty Ferry.

“I will personally deliver it next week to the Home Office.”

Josie, who completed an honours degree in marketing at Abertay University in Dundee in 2006, has also received support from her alma mater.

A spokesman for the university said, “Her lecturers remember her as a capable and hard working student who showed initiative and imagination in her work.

“Josie was a popular and enthusiastic student and her qualifications, skills and good work ethic would make her an asset to any employer.

“We were happy to provide academic references in support of her visa application.”

Josie was also coming to terms yesterday with the fact that her promising career with retailers H&M is now in tatters.

She will soon be unable legally to hold employment in the country and after discussions with the firm it was decided she would not return to work until her visa position is clarified.

The family’s immigration woes began when Josie’s mother Catherine and sister Mammie applied for permanent residence in the UK in 2004.

They allege Home Office officials advised them that Josie could wait until her visa expired in February before submitting her application.

But when she applied in January it was refused as she is not “wholly or mainly dependent” on a relative settled in the UK.

The independent Immigration and Asylum tribunal subsequently declined to overturn the decision on appeal.

Judge David Clapham, however, did describe Josie as “an excellent member of society.”

An on-line petition was set up last night by a friend of Josie’s, urging the UK Government to address the “injustice” and allow her to stay in the country.

The organisers said they would be sending the petition to Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

They hope to collect 1000 signatures in the first 48 hours.

The petition can be found at www.ipetitions.com/peti tion/keep-josie-in-the-uk/