A 40-year-old former activist for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) who has been living in Scotland for 10 years has been ordered to leave the country with his family and return to Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwean national has a four-month-old daughter and his wife has been living in the country for 17 years.

The man said he sought asylum in the country but his application was denied several times because they said he did not have enough evidence.

“I got married here last year and we had a child and I did an application on human rights grounds and they refused it again saying I should return home with my four-month-old child – but my wife has the right to remain in this country.”

He said his only relative in the country was his elderly father and the rest of the family had moved to South Africa due to the dire economic situation in Zimbabwe.

“For the Home Office to say I should return to Zimbabwe with a four-month-old baby is crazy. When I left I lost everything there so I’ve nothing to go back to.”

“Our child was born prematurely – my wife’s pregnancy was quite difficult. She’s on maternity leave for a year and she gets maternity pay so she’s having to work in other jobs to keep us going,” said the man.

While, Martyn Day, SNP MP for Linlithgow and East Falkirk, has taken the family’s case and wrote to Home Secretary Priti Patel, urging them to reconsider their decision under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Day wrote: “He was previously involved with African Colours and has an active involvement with the MDC … He does not feel it would be safe for him to return because of his political involvement with the opposition party and the fear of repercussions.”

“He has also made Scotland his home now and he has a wife and family in West Lothian. Despite [their daughter] having Scotland as her land of birth she is also being asked to leave by the Home Office, which is quite frankly inhumane, and totally wrong to deny her the right to stay within Scotland with both her parents,” wrote Day.

But a Home Office (Ministry of Home Affairs) spokesperson said: “All claims are considered on their individual merits taking into account the available evidence and country information.”