An illegal migrant who committed fraud has successfully argued she can’t be deported from the UK because she has been here for too long. Joyce Baidoo, 57, has been living in Britain without permission since 2000, according to GB News.
She was convicted of fraud for using fake ID papers and jailed for 10 months. The Home Office issued a deportation order in 2007, but Ms Baidoo argued she had been in Britain for so long that she would be unable to “reintegrate” into her native Ghana.
At a first tier tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber, Ms Baidoo won her case before winning again when the upper tribunal threw out an appeal by the Home Office.
The judge reportedly found Ms Baidoo presented a “very compelling” case in claiming her “long absence” from Ghana meant she would face “significant obstacles” in the West African country.
The tribunal heard Ms Baidoo “pleaded continuous long residence” and claimed her departure would have a “detrimental effect on her mental health”.
It also heard that she also said there would be significant obstacles to her reintegration into Ghanaian culture because of her long absence, the lack of family support and lack of employment opportunities she would have there.
She claimed she would be left “destitute”, resulting in “unjustifiably harsh consequences for her”.
First tier tribunal judge Jeffrey Cameron ruled earlier this year that Ms Baidoo wouldn’t have any family help if she were to return to Ghana given her husband has died and she isn’t in contact with her children.
Judge Cameron said that given her age and mental health issues it was “unlikely” she would be able to get a job within “a reasonable period of time”.
Upper tribunal judge, Richard Manuell, ruled it wasn’t speculative of the lower tier judge to find Ms Baidoo would be destitute, as alleged by the Home Office.
He said: “The judge gave cogent reasons for reaching his conclusions. Proportionality and reasonableness had been fully covered.
“The onwards appeal should be dismissed. There was no material error of law.”