Pakistani Asylum seeker granted £100K over ‘Criminal’ treatment in the UK

An asylum seeker from Pakistan receives a compensation of nearly £100,000 as he claimed that he was ‘treated like a criminal’ as he overstayed his student visa. The compensation amount was awarded to her as she argued that as a Christian, she was facing persecution in Pakistan as part of her 16-year court battle, to stay in UK.  

Born in Pakistan, Nadra Almas went to UK in 2004 over a student visa, which expired after five months, the officials stated. She was then served a notice of removal in 2008; however she remained in the country as she made six bids to remain between 2005 and 2014. 

Refugee status granted  

Almas was even handcuffed and detained by the home officials in 2018, ultimately stating that she would be deported. However, reports stated that she was released two weeks later. The reports further noted that Almas was granted a refugee status by the government three years later, and during that period she was not allowed to travel, work or claim any benefits.  

In response to this, Almas received compensation considering the fact that she suffered extreme violation of her human rights, and her self-esteem has been undermined. The court who made the decision to compensate Almas stated that there have been numerous breaches in how Almas was detained at the Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre, including failing to consider alternatives to keeping her locked up. 

Violation of human rights and awarding compensation  

The judge at the high court found out that Almas was unable to work, and her personal life was affected by the anxiety she felt after detention. Almas also stated her feelings, noting that she felt like a criminal and not a good person, whenever around her friends and family. 

The judge further quoted that the flaws in Almas detention were outrageous, which depicts a disregard for human rights. Notably, the decision of the judge was appealed by the government highlighting that she should be compensated with an award of £100,000.