National Union of Students UK. Glasgow Student Saved from Deportation

NUS Scotland welcomed some positive news in the ongoing campaign to save Glasgow student Lord Elias Mensah Apetsi from deportation. The Home Office has withdrawn the decision to refuse Lord’s human rights claim, and the refusal to revoke his deportation order, they will be reconsidering his case. Before the Home Office’s deportation order, which was made without all the facts being presented and considered – Lord, a Master’s Student at Strathclyde University, Glasgow, had just been voted ‘Student of the Year’. During his ordeal he was caring for two young children, his son and stepson.

Since news of his deportation broke, students and politicians across political parties, at Holyrood and Westminster, have been campaigning to see the deportation halted, and allow Lord to return to his family and complete his studies. Administrative errors that were no fault of Lord’s led to this distressing situation. So far, a fundraising campaign has raised over £4,000 to support Lord with his legal costs. , Vonnie Sandlan, President of NUS Scotland, said: “This decision will come as a relief to all those who’ve been campaigning to stop Lord’s deportation. But it’s by no means the end of the long battle to save Lord. The Home Office withdrawing their decision to not even consider revoking Lord’s imminent deportation order means Lord now has an opportunity now to continue his fight against deportation, with a real possibility that could be done from within the UK. However, the huge financial and legal barriers mean we’re still a long way from that. “While this is a positive step in our campaign to see Lord’s deportation stopped, and his chance to return to his family, friends and studies, it’s also marks the start of the next step in the legal battle to reverse the injustice he’s faced. Now our focus is on ensuring that his detention is overturned, and seeing him brought back to his home, his family and his studies in Glasgow, where he belongs.”