The Ferreira family might be going but Indian actor Dalip Tahil has finally won the right to stay in the UK, Asians in Media has learnt.

The former Eastenders actor (pictured) was dropped by producers of the BBC soap after his legal working status in the UK was put in doubt fourteen months ago. Although he maintained he was allowed to work in the country, the Home Office said at the time he was working illegally.

Dalip Tahil came to the UK in 2002 to appear in the west end musical Bombay Dreams. He later joined the BBC as head of the new Asian family in Eastenders.

Soon after he complained at being the subject of a hate campaign. British Asian actors were said to have been unhappy that an Indian actor was chosen for the part instead of someone more local. The actors union Equity also voiced its objection to the BBC's casting decision.

Immigration minister Des Browne has now been forced to apologise for poor handling of Tahil's case following an appeal launched earlier this month with the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA).

His forced departure from the soap, following the immigration crisis, led to abandoned plots and a hurried rewriting of scripts. Storylines for the Ferreiras never truly recovered from the incident and a decision to axe the family was made in October 2004.

The remaining four members will be seen for the last time on the soap next week, Tuesday 22nd March. However, private sources told AiM that the door had been left open for the family to return at a future date.