A Pakistani migrant convicted of sexually assaulting a woman was allowed to remain in the UK after claiming he was gay. The 53-year-old, who had lived illegally in the country for 11 years, was granted refugee status after arguing he would face persecution in Pakistan. His claim came just months after his conviction.
Despite a lack of strong evidence proving his sexuality, an asylum court allowed him to stay. The Home Office initially rejected his claim, stating there was no proof he was living in the UK as a gay man. However, due to a legal mistake, his testimony was not challenged, and he was granted asylum in April last year.
His case has now been reopened after an upper immigration tribunal found procedural errors in the original ruling. The Home Office is challenging the decision, arguing that the migrant’s claim was weak and not properly examined.
This case is among several where migrants or convicted criminals have avoided deportation by citing human rights laws. The UK currently faces a backlog of over 34,000 immigration appeals, posing challenges to the government’s efforts to fast-track deportations. A new hearing will determine whether the migrant’s asylum claim will still stand.