An Iranian sex offender has avoided deportation from the UK by claiming asylum as a Christian convert facing persecution in his home country, according to reports, which say the man has repeatedly used the asylum system over the past two decades to remain in Britain.
The 31-year-old, whose identity has been concealed by immigration judges, fled Iran in 2004, claiming he had been accused of adultery and tortured by authorities, according to The Telegraph. After travelling through Europe, he arrived in the UK, asserting that returning to Iran would place him at risk of persecution both for his alleged adultery and his newfound Christian faith.
However, his initial asylum claim in 2005 was rejected, with a judge ruling that his claims of adultery were “implausible” and criticizing him for not immediately seeking asylum in other countries he had passed through.
The man continued to appeal his case while committing a series of crimes in the UK.
In 2010, he was convicted of sexual assault and served nine months in prison. Five years later, he was jailed again for stalking, according to the newspaper.
Nevertheless, the man repeatedly insisted that deportation would endanger him due to his Christian faith, although immigration officials argued that his conversion was not genuine and was simply a ploy to strengthen his asylum claims.
In his asylum appeals, the man described worshipping at home instead of attending church, claiming that he had never found a church he was “comfortable with.” He also claimed to have built a “house church” in his garden to practise his faith privately.
Officials labelled him “manipulative,” alleging that his conversion was fabricated to exploit the system. Previous immigration adjudicators had also found him to be a person likely to “say anything” to enhance his claim.
However, immigration judges ultimately ruled in his favour, stating that his history of sexual offences did not invalidate his claim to Christian conversion. They noted that practising Christianity does not require attendance at a formal church, citing examples of informal worship practices.
The tribunal concluded that returning the man to Iran would expose him to persecution, either for his actual or perceived religious beliefs.
The case has drawn attention to the challenges facing the UK’s immigration and asylum system, which has seen a steep rise in backlogged cases.
Nearly 42,000 asylum cases are stuck in the appeals system, representing a fivefold increase over the past two years, The Times of London noted.
The backlog has been worsened by repeat appeals and legal errors requiring cases to be reheard, allowing individuals like the Iranian sex offender to remain in the country for extended periods. At least 74,969 cases are pending in the immigration and asylum appeal courts, the majority involving failed asylum seekers contesting their rejected claims, according to the UK Times.
