A man from Somalia who had committed crimes in the UK and asked to stay in the country has been allowed to remain because a judge believed sending him back home would badly affect his mental health. The man has been struggling with serious mental illness and alcohol problems for many years.
He came to the UK in 1999 when he was 29 years old. Since then, he has developed deep mental health issues, including schizophrenia and hearing voices, and has become heavily dependent on alcohol. He has also spent time in prison, though the details of his crimes weren’t shared publicly.
In court, his lawyers explained that if he were sent back to Somalia, he would suffer extreme stress, which would make his mental condition worse. They said he wouldn’t be able to survive there, especially since he needs constant support and medical care.
They added that while he may have some family or clan members back in Somalia, they would not be able to give him the kind of 24-hour care he currently receives in the UK. The man would also have to pay for his medicine in Somalia, which he cannot afford. In the past, he had been financially exploited by others who found out he was receiving disability benefits, which made his situation even more difficult.
The Home Office disagreed and said there are doctors in Somalia who could treat his condition. They also offered him financial support about £750 under a scheme that helps foreign offenders return to their home countries. Their argument was that since mental illness is recognised in Somalia and there are psychiatrists available, he could still receive treatment there.
However, doctors who examined him said his recovery depends heavily on staying away from alcohol and regularly taking his medication. They feared that if he was sent back to Somalia, he wouldn’t have the supervision or support needed to keep up with his treatment. Without that support, he might stop taking his medication and relapse quickly.
The judge, after looking at all the evidence, agreed with the doctors and his legal team. He believed that the man’s mental health would seriously decline if he was deported. He could end up in a displaced persons camp in Somalia, where the conditions are very poor and dangerous. The judge decided that sending him back would be inhumane and would break his human rights, so he allowed him to stay in the UK.
This case is just one of many where migrants or foreign nationals facing deportation have used human rights laws to remain in the UK. At the moment, there are nearly 42,000 immigration appeals still waiting to be dealt with, most of them involving claims like this one. These delays are making it difficult for the government to remove people who are in the country illegally.
