Bangladeshi chef facing deportation a victim of 'mistakes', says MP

Saiful Islam moved to the UK to work in a restaurant in 2003

A Bangladeshi chef facing deportation who was mistaken for a sex offender was the victim of "shocking mistakes" by the Home Office, an MP said.

Saiful Islam, 46, who lives in Peterborough, moved to the UK in January 2003 to work in a restaurant.

His files were later mixed up with those of three other people and Peterborough MP Paul Bristow said the case "needs to be looked at again".

The Home Office said applications are considered on their individual merits.

Due to the file mix-up Mr Islam wrongly had criminal convictions attached to his name, for which the Home Office has apologised.

Mr Islam, who previously lived in Cardiff, was denied right to remain in December 2019.

According to a judicial review judgment, errors by the Home Office did not affect the decision to reject Mr Islam's application to stay in the UK. This was based on a 2008 application being refused as he did not have a work permit.

Along with wrongly attaching criminal convictions to his name, the errors included destroying part of his file and withholding it in a previous court case; and not providing relevant pages of his passport which proved he had entered the country legally.

Mr Islam maintains these are the reasons he did not have a permit in 2008.

Peterborough MP Paul Bristow has urged the Home Office to look again at Saiful Islam's case

Conservative Mr Bristow said he was left "open-mouthed" when he learned about the case.

He described it as "complicated" as Mr Islam has had periods without any valid immigration status and he has claimed to be both an asylum seeker and a victim of trafficking.

'Victim of a scandal'

Mr Bristow said: "If any one case exemplifies why we need to reform our immigration and our asylum system it is Saiful Islam.

"He has been the victim of a quite shocking series of mistakes by the Home Office."

The Conservative MP, who was elected in 2019, said the Home Office should "allow some sort of flexibility" for Mr Islam remain in the UK "on the basis he's built a life".

Mr Islam has campaigned outside Downing Street in an attempt to raise the profile of his case

Mr Islam said he believed he has "done nothing wrong" and was the "victim of a scandal".

He said he has been left "distressed" and both his physical and mental health had suffered.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "All applications are considered on their individual merits in accordance with the immigration rules.

"Given Mr Islam has a pending application currently under review, it would be inappropriate to comment on the case."

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