Juliana Selem was born in Lagos, Nigeria and is of African descent. Born into a Yoruba family of traders and cattle agents, she had two younger brothers who are currently leading successful lives in their own right. Her parents, though, had encouraged her to pursue her dream of a career in the international service sector, and that ambition carried through to adulthood. She began working for the British Foreign Service in East Africa and then worked for the Indian government as a clerk, translator and officer in the Indian Consulate in Lagos. Following that, she trained as a translator in the Arabic language at Birzeit University, before pursuing a teaching career in Nigeria.
Aged 34, Juliana Selem retired from government service in 1998, has held the prestigious post of assistant commissioner of prisons and rehabilitation. Though she had retired with a high position, at the time of her death she was dissatisfied with the lack of promotion to senior staff, and felt that seniority owed something to her as an individual. In that regard, her case was made by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, which accredits the work of foreign-born individuals fulfilling certain roles in the United Kingdom. Following her death, however, her pension was cut by the then Home Secretary.
Juliana Selem was not entitled to British citizenship because of her Moroccan nationality, and therefore was a British citizen by birth. This, however, did not prevent her from living and working in the United Kingdom, as her partner was a British citizen by birth too. The immigration rules of today are far more strict than those of several decades ago. Any person who wishes to become a British citizen must demonstrate a clear sense of nationality according to the UK immigration law of today, even if that means changing one’s name. Otherwise, that person may end up being unable to remain in the country.