MILANA turned two in January.

She lives with her parents in Scotland, where she was born.

Now the “bubbly” toddler’s life faces major upheaval – because on Saturday the Home Office told her Belarussian mum to leave the country.

Volha Merry, known as Olya, married Scots husband Derek five years ago and since then the couple has been navigating “nightmare” immigration red tape.

The pair met through work, with multi-lingual Olya acting as a translator for a project former radio producer Derek was handling.

Now Derek says he advises others not to fall in love with anyone from a non-EU country to prevent them facing the same struggles that could now see his family ripped apart in just seven days.

Officials warn Olya could be picked up and deported by immigration teams if she fails to quit the UK within the week.

The North Lanarkshire woman said: “I’m treated like a criminal.

“When I saw the letter, my jaw dropped.

“I couldn’t expect this – how is it possible? What have I done?”

On the impact on Milana, described as “bubbly” and gentle, Derek added: “She’s going to lose one of us. My family is going to be torn apart.

"You can’t help who you love. This is not fair.”

The Coatbridge couple’s battle for family life began when Olya struggled to gain permission to even visit Derek on holiday.

The Home Office said it believed she may not return to Belarus, which suffers high levels of poverty and has been ruled by President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994.

It was also suggested that their relationship was a sham and, in order to gain permission to live together in the UK, Derek says the pair were advised to make use of European freedom of movement rules.

This legal route saw them give up their jobs and homes in Belarus and Scotland and move to Ireland, where Derek’s sister lives.

Under the rules, the Merrys were required to make Ireland their “centre of life” for at least three months before relocating to Scotland under an EU family permit.

The pair secured jobs, accommodation, cars and friends in County Galway and planned to stay for a couple of years.

However, that changed when they discovered Olya – who has been ordered to report to an immigration centre on Wednesday – was pregnant and, with her family 1500 miles away, decided to bring that move forward so Milana could be born in Scotland.

The couple had been in Ireland for six months at that point – double the minimum required under law. However, the UK Government has since refused Olya the residence permit she needs to secure her future here and the couple say this is because officials claim they did not do enough to establish a “centre of life” in Ireland.

They now face a desperate bid to halt the deportation process as they try to keep their family together.

If Olya has to leave, Derek says he could not bear to make her go without Milana, who she dotes on. However, Belarus does not allow dual citizenship, meaning the youngster, who was born in Wishaw General Hospital, may have to forfeit the Scots status her parents wanted for her.

But Olya, who speaks five languages, does not want to separate her daughter from her daddy.

The 28-year-old said: “We could not have done more.

“We don’t accept this and I don’t know what else a person can do but have a job, accommodation, a car, friends and family as a basis for their life.

“We have faced constant accusations that our marriage was not real.

“I feel like I am on trial.”

Local MSP Fulton MacGregor has vowed to fight against the removal order.

Derek, who works for supermarket chain Lidl, says the order – which follows a string of visa appeals – is a “disaster”.

He said: “My wife will have to leave her British husband and British daughter.

“Belarus not being in the EU does not help either as the EU citizens and other nations have more rights to bring their spouses to the country but the British do not have those same rights.

“Olya is absolutely lovely – you couldn’t meet a nicer person.

“She loves Milana to bits. If Olya goes, our child’s going to have travel with her.”

He went on to say: “There’s no chance of me being able to get a job in Belarus. I don’t speak the language, no one speaks English, it’s a poor country and there aren’t many jobs to get.

“I’ll have to continue working here for a year to save then we would have to go to another EU country.

“But we don’t know what’s going to happen after Brexit.”

The National asked the Home Office why the UK Government wants to remove the qualified language teacher from her home and family in Scotland.

However, no response had been received by our deadline last night.