Jenni Navratil in Immigration Crisis
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Jenni (right)
with Helen Ganly 1981
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Jenni Navratil was one of the founding members of the OPC in 1976. She turned down a potentially lucrative career in her native United States to stay with the printmakers as the technician, determined to stand by it until it was firmly established. She supported herself with a part time job as a technical assistant at the Ruskin School and gave her services to the printmakers without pay.
On 1st April 1981, in spite of having a valid visa for unrestricted entry, Jenni was detained by immigration as she returned to UK, her adopted home. After over five hours of questioning, she was temporarily released to return a week later for further questioning. When she returned, she was given one week to leave the country.
She telephoned fellow co-operative member Helen Ganly, who contacted Lord Bullock, former Master of St Catherine's. After meeting Jenni he took up her case with the Home Office. Sir Henry Fisher also supported her, and finally the Home Office postponed her expulsion to give her a chance to go to the High Court.
Jenni then contacted the local Member of Parliament, John Patten, and soon he was writing letters to the Home Office in support of her. Helen Ganly meanwhile was enlisting support from influential figures in the art world including Bill Dufton, the director of the Southern Arts Council and a number of MPs including the former Arts Minister Norman St John Stevas.
With this bombardment the Home Office admitted on 2nd July that they had made a mistake and "in view of Miss Navratil's considerable talents I have decided exceptionally to allow her to remain..."
Jenni was naturally delighted and relieved but was left owing a lot of money and with a solicitor's bill to pay, as well as a large backlog of work at the printmakers.