Migrant avoids deportation after claiming people smuggler threw away his ID and phone

23 March 2025, 17:43

A migrant who escaped Iraq has avoided deportation after claiming a people smuggler disposed of his ID and phone.

The man reportedly fled his country after he was threatened with arrest for an alleged exam fraud.

He was allegedly caught on CCTV delivering test papers to an address one day before students were set to sit their exam for the qualification, reports The Telegraph.

The man claimed an “agent” who helped him on his route to Britain chucked away his ID documents and forced him abandon his mobile phone.

The Iraqi national, who a court has granted anonymity, told an immigration tribunal that he could does not know the telephone numbers for his family off the top of his head.

This meant they could not they could not help him replace his lost ID card, the tribunal heard.

Read more: Couple hit with £1,500 fine after migrant clung to the back of their motorhome to enter UK

Read more: Labour considers plan to send rejected migrants to the Balkans

Iraqis are not allowed to safely return to their home nation without ID documents due to the risks of arrest and interrogation on arrival.

it also prevents them moving across the country via checkpoints.

The Home Office approved his appeal, with the ruling upheld by an upper immigration tribunal.

That is despite “inconsistencies” in his account due to apparent errors in the first judge’s analysis of his case, the Telegram reports.

His appeal is due to be fully reheard by in a fresh tribunal hearing.

A string of cases where criminals have avoided deportation have emerged in recent weeks.

Last week, an Albanian criminal was allowed to remain in the UK after a judge ruled that long-distance Zoom calls would be ‘too harsh’ on his stepson.

Dritan Mazreku, 29, took on a ‘paternal role’ for his son, 15, when he entered a relationship with the boys mother 10 years ago, a tribunal heard.

He was later jailed and faced deportation, but a judge ruled he could remain in the country because it would be ‘unduly harsh’ on his stepson if he was removed, the Telegraph reports.

The judge said that “modern means” of communication were “no substitute” for physical presence and visiting Albania regularly would be ‘unmanageable’.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper argued against the decision and said that he could continue to support his stepson from Albania, but this was dismissed and he was allowed to stay in the UK.

In February, a criminal avoided deportation because his son didn’t like foreign chicken nuggets.

It comes as rejected asylum seekers could reportedly be sent to the Balkans and other third-party countries under new Labour plans to tackle small boats.

Sir Keir Starmer’s government is set to propose a series of “return hubs” where asylum seekers who have had their applications rejected could be sent.

Countries including Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and North Macedonia are set to be included in the plans, the Times reports.

The Labour government is reportedly keen to work with European countries on these so-called “return hubs”, which echo previous Conservative plans to send migrants to Rwanda.

The proposal comes after the European Union gave member states permission to begin setting up return hubs.