A Nigerian man who traveled home in fear of deportation after years of fruitless effort to obtain residence status in London, UK, has received his approval for residency.

The man, whose name is Jinadu Adewale Moruff, departed for Nigeria shortly before his residence approval came through. A neighbor of his picked up the approval notice for him and has been trying to reach him to let him know.

The man’s whereabouts are currently unknown, but his neighbor is asking people to help spread the word on social media in hopes that he will see it and claim his breakthrough.

The man’s story is a reminder of the challenges faced by immigrants who are trying to build a life in a new country. Many immigrants face long delays and bureaucratic hurdles in their attempts to obtain legal status. Some, like the man in this story, may even be forced to return to their home countries, even if they have established a life and built a community in the new country.