Roland Matranxhi (Image: GMP)
An Albanian criminal was allowed to stay in the UK after an immigration judge ruled that his relationship with his wife might “dwindle away” if he was deported and they could no longer have sex, it has emerged. Roland Matranxhi was jailed for four and a half years over his involvement in a major drugs gang in which the police seized up to £200,000 of cannabis.
The Home Office tried to deport him on release but the Albanian – who was behind a huge cannabis farm operation – appealed the matter at the First-tier Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber. The panel heard evidence from his Portuguese spouse, who told them she would not relocate to Albania as she did not want to move away from her sister, who lives in the UK with her.
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The First-tier Tribunal judge said this meant that their “loving” relationship would “go cold” and ruled that Matranxhi could remain in the country as he met a test for “compelling circumstances”.
The ruling meant Matranxhi won a right to stay in the UK.
Details about the ruling have now emerged as the Home Office successfully appealed the case at the Upper Tribunal.
The Upper Tribunal found the First-tier Tribunal was wrong to allow Matranxhi to stay and the crook now, finally, faces deportation.
The Upper Tribunal was told that Matranxhi entered the UK “clandestinely” in June 2018.
Just over two years later, he made an application for leave under the European Union Settlement Scheme as the partner of an EEA [European Economic Area] national.
He was granted pre-settled status, a temporary immigration status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
The crook’s drug farm (Image: -)
However, in June 2023, Matranxhi was convicted of drug offences at Manchester City Crown Court and he was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment.
The Albanian was sentenced for conspiring to produce cannabis, possessing cannabis with intent to supply, and facilitating the acquisition, use, or possession of criminal property
At the time, Greater Manchester Police reported that Matranxhi and his co-defendants were “caught red-handed setting up a cannabis farm” at a property in Bolton.
They said that large bags of cannabis were discovered, estimated to be worth between £100,000 and £200,000, along with £11,000 in cash hidden inside a shoe box and multiple notebooks containing shopping lists relating to growing cannabis.
In July 2023, after he was jailed, Matranxhi was served a notice from the Home Office advising him of his liability to deportation.
The Albanian responded the following February and in April was sent notice of a decision to deport him as the Secretary of State refused his human rights claim.
He took the matter to the First-tier Tribunal, who allowed his appeal on the basis that he had met a ‘compelling’ circumstances criterion.
This was after hearing evidence from Matranxhi’s wife, only named in the judgement as Miss Mareno.
The judge said that Miss Mareno intends on “maintaining a loving relationship” with Matranxhi, despite his criminal behaviour.
The judgement said she does not intend to move to Albania and one of the reasons for not doing so was the close bond with her sister, who she and Matranxhi live with and she described as being “like a twin”.
The tribunal also heard that Miss Mareno is financially settled in the UK, where she is working in a “responsible and professional employment”.
The judge said Miss Mareno speaks no Albanian and will not relocate, which will have a “significant impact” upon the relationship between her and Matranxhi.
The First-tier Tribunal judge said: “It is important to note, and I accept, that Miss Mareno wants to maintain the relationship with [Matranxhi].
“It was put to her that she could maintain that relationship by a variety of means to include modern forms of communication but also visiting [Matranxhi] in Albania.
Roland Matranxhi (Image: -)
“It is very likely that, all be it with good intentions, the relationship will dwindle away through no fault of Miss Mareno.
“She has no real ties in Albania safe for [Matranxhi], does not speak the language and is not culturally or socially integrated.”
The judge said there would be “significant obstacles” if she were to be forced to move to Albania, and commented that this would be “unduly harsh”.
He found that while Matranxhi would be able to “reintegrate” into the European country, his relationship would likely “go cold” and dwindle away.’
The judge added: “The risk of the relationship failing is high, as described by the witnesses, that the circumstances and factors are not only unduly harsh but higher still, hence very compelling circumstances.”
In immigration law, foreign criminals who are sentenced to a period of imprisonment of at least four years should be deported unless there are “very compelling circumstances”.
The Upper Tribunal found that the First-tier Tribunal made an error in law.
Upper Tribunal Judge Clive Lane said: “I have no doubt that [Matranxhi’s] wife is close to her sister but they and [Matranxhi] are adults and the fact that they choose to live together is not unusual and, frankly, does not lift their circumstances on to a level which can reasonably described as “very compelling.”
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And, the tribunal said the First-Tier judge “too readily” accepted Ms Mareno’s evidence that she would and could not relocate to Albania.
Judge Lane said Miss Mareno’s “unwillingness to part from her adult sister… does not constitute a very compelling circumstance which trumps the public interest in the appellant’s deportation”.
The judge added: “In short, the facts simply did not justify the outcome reached by the First-tier Tribunal judge.”
The Upper Tribunal Judge ruled that Matranxhi should be deported.
The judgement states: “I do not accept that [he] has shown the existence of very compelling circumstances which outweigh the strong public interest in his deportation.
“I set aside the decision of the First-tier Tribunal. I remake the decision dismissing [Matranxhi’s] appeal on human rights grounds.”
Matranxhi was jailed alongside his brother Klodian Matranxhi and Dashamir Rexhmati.