A DEPORTED knifeman could return to the UK after an immigration judge ruled he had “matured”.
Italian Prince Umoh, 30, was banned from Britain for two “very serious” street muggings in 2015.
GettyA deported knifeman could return to the UK after an immigration judge ruled he had ‘matured’[/caption]
Getty Images – GettyJudge Anna-Rose Landes said Umoh’s case was not that ‘extreme’[/caption]
The offender, who was 18 at the time, caused his victims “psychological trauma” after the attacks.
A court also heard Umoh was the “ringleader” of a gang who would threaten people at knifepoint to steal their mobile phones.
He was deported in June 2015, but illegally returned to the UK, which saw him jailed and thrown out of the country again in November 2016.
But an upper immigration tribunal has now ended his ban after it decided he had been successfully rehabilitated and is “committed to a lawful lifestyle”.
This means he can come back to Britain if the Home Office allows it.
Umoh has been residing in Italy and Ireland since be deported but appealed to be let back into the UK after “developing himself through education and taking up a vocation to a relatively high level”.
The court was told he was “clearly remorseful” and had “matured and developed a proper attitude”.
The Home Office had previously appealed a lower immigration tribunal ruling to revoke his ban last year.
It argued that “offences involving knives were those which caused deep public revulsion”.
This led to the case being heard at the upper tribunal, where judge Anna-Rose Landes said Umoh’s case was not that “extreme”.
She said: “It was very serious [crime], two street muggings of phones from young people with the use of a knife causing fortunately not serious physical injury but psychological trauma, with aggravating circumstances.
“Nevertheless, although Mr Umoh was the ringleader, he had not offended before, and he was only 18.
“The offending was not gang related.
“I observe that the public recognise that young men can commit very serious crimes for which they should be severely punished, but can also with greater maturity and reflection, rehabilitate and become useful members of society.”
Judge Landes added: “Revoking the deportation order means that Mr Umoh is no longer excluded from entering the UK by operation of law.
“The revocation does not itself give permission for Mr Umoh to enter the UK or remain in the UK.”
This comes after an Albanian criminal was allowed to stay in Britain earlier this year partly because his 10-year-old son does not like foreign chicken nuggets.
An immigration tribunal ruled it would have been “unduly harsh” for the child to be deported to Albania with his father due to his sensitivity around food as well other “additional” needs.
Father Klevis Disha, 39, successfully appealed his deportation at a lower-tier immigration tribunal in which his son’s distaste for foreign chicken nuggets was listed as the only example of his food difficulties.
The case also focused on his son’s needs in regards to sensory issues and difficulties communicating emotions.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick told the Telegraph it was “mind-boggling”, “ludicrous” and “outrageous” that food had been used as an argument to prevent deportation.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp also slammed the decision, claiming foreign criminals are “exploiting human rights laws and weak judges”.
The judge in the case had allowed Disha’s appeal as the deportation would have breached his right to a family life under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) – citing the impact his removal could have on his son.
Other needs were also listed for his son, known only as C, that claimed he would have suffered if he remained in the UK separated from his father or if he was forced to go to Albania.
The court was also told that education plans were in place to support C’s learning, although the boy had no formal diagnosis of special educational needs.
Using a fake name and falsely claiming to have been born in the former Yugoslavia, Disha, 39, entered the UK illegally as a 15-year-old unaccompanied minor in 2001.
Despite having his asylum claim rejected, he gained UK citizenship in 2007 after being granted exceptional leave to remain, followed by an indefinite leave to remain.
With his partner, another Albanian who gained UK citizenship in 2006, he had two daughters and a son.
However, Disha was jailed for two years after being caught with £250,000 in cash, known to be the proceeds of crime, in September 2017.
In another case, an illegal immigrant who used fake documents and was jailed for fraud was allowed to stay in the UK – because she has lived here so long.
Joyce Baidoo overstayed in the UK for 25 years but an asylum court ruled she has been gone from Ghana for too long to send her back.
The 57-year-old has been in the UK without permission since 2000, even avoiding being kicked out of the country when she was jailed for fraud.
The Home Office issued a deportation order in 2007 following her conviction but she has remained in the UK.
Now, 25 years after her arrival, the Ghanaian has won a human rights case to stay in the UK.
Ms Baidoo argued she has been in the UK for so long she would not be able to “reintegrate” into Ghanaian culture.
GettyAn Albanian criminal was allowed to stay in Britain earlier this year partly because his 10-year-old son does not like foreign chicken nuggets[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
