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Immigration and asylum - in brief (1)

01 January 2007

UK: British Asian detained in detention centre for two months: A British Asian man, Sabbir Ahmed, was forcibly detained in Haslar detention centre, in Gosport, Hampshire, for almost two months and threatened with deportation to Pakistan because Home Office officials believed that he was foreign. The Guardian newspaper reported that immigration officials identified Mr Ahmed, who speaks with a Lancashire accent, as Pakistani despite the fact that he was born in Blackburn and possesses a British passport. His parents come from India and also have British passports. The student had finished serving a two month prison sentence for driving while disqualified when he was identified as a foreign national and held for deportation. His case followed an embarrassing debate over the deportation of foreign prisoners, which led to the resignation of Home Secretary, Charles Clark, in summer 2006. Mr Ahmed said of his experience: "It felt like I was banging my head against a brick wall. I was screaming my innocence to anyone who would listen and they were trying to deport me to a country where I've got no ties." He was released from Haslar last September after being incarcerated for 48 days. Guardian 1.3.07