Asylum seeker wins £100k for 'being treated like criminal' after overstaying student visa

By Jon King, News Reporter

The pistillate was detained astatine Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre successful Bedford (Image: Getty)

An asylum seeker from Pakistan was awarded compensation of astir £100,000 aft claiming she was "treated similar a criminal" aft overstaying her pupil visa.

Nadra Almas argued that arsenic a Christian she faced persecution successful Pakistan arsenic portion of her 16-year tribunal conflict to stay successful the UK.

Born successful Pakistan, Ms Almas arrived successful the UK successful 2004 connected a pupil visa, which a justice heard had expired aft 5 months. She was served a announcement of removal successful 2008 and made six bids to stay betwixt 2005 and 2014.

The High Court heard Ms Almas was handcuffed by Home Office officials who detained her successful 2018 and told her she would beryllium deported. She was released 2 weeks later, according to the Telegraph.

The aforesaid work reports Ms Almas was granted exile presumption by the Government astir 3 years later. Over that period, she wasn't allowed to travel, enactment oregon assertion benefits.

Ms Almas was awarded compensation aft claiming the mode she was treated had breached her quality rights and her self-esteem had been "undermined" by having to trust connected household and friends.

The Government appealed a judge's determination to compensate Ms Almas with the grant of £98,757 successful damages, but the entreaty was dismissed by different justice who upheld the findings and magnitude awarded.

The tribunal recovered "numerous" breaches successful however Ms Almas was detained astatine the Yarl's Wood detention centre. These included failing to see alternatives to keeping her locked up.

Home Office officials took 2 years and 9 months to o.k. her exile status, a hold which Recorder McNeill ruled had breached her close to a household life.

The justice recovered Ms Almas was "wholly unable" to enactment and her location beingness was affected by the anxiousness she felt aft her play of detention, feeling "like a criminal" and "not a bully idiosyncratic with her friends and family" due to the fact that she had been detained.

Nadra Almas's detention was described arsenic 'outrageous' by a High Court justice (Image: Getty)

The justice is quoted by the Telegraph arsenic describing flaws successful Ms Almas's detention arsenic "outrageous", showing a "reckless" disregard for her quality rights.

Both Recorder McNeill's findings and the level of compensation were appealed against by the Home Office, but Mr Justice Ritchie rejected its case.

He said the damages were due and Recorder McNeill's rulings connected unlawful detention were "logical" and supported by the evidence.

Mr Justice Ritchie said: "These breaches were not trivial oregon minor."