Gambiaj.com – (WATFORD, United Kingdom) – A Gambian man who was convicted of a violent attack in the UK and has faced multiple deportation attempts has been awarded “substantial” compensation after a High Court judge ruled that his detention was unlawful.
Ebou Jasseh, 41, was sentenced to six years in prison in 2015 for attacking a drunken woman in his flat in Watford. According to court proceedings, Jasseh allegedly lured the woman, who had been ejected from a nightclub, by claiming he was hosting a party. The attack occurred in his bathroom after he took her back to his residence.
Jasseh, who arrived in the UK on a six-month visa in 2004, had also been arrested in 2010 on allegations of sexually assaulting another woman in Watford. However, no charges were filed in that case. Despite his visa’s expiration and his asylum application being denied, Jasseh remained in the UK, engaging in legal battles to avoid deportation.
After completing his prison sentence in 2019, Jasseh was slated for deportation to The Gambia. However, he violated the terms of his release, leading to his return to custody. He was later detained at Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre near Heathrow Airport as the UK Home Office prepared his deportation.
A High Court judge ruled that Jasseh’s detention at the immigration center was unlawful, citing the improbability of his deportation at the time. The judge described the Home Office’s actions as “oppressive,” concluding that Jasseh should not have been detained under such circumstances.
As a result, Jasseh was awarded “substantial” compensation for the unlawful detention. While the exact amount remains undisclosed, the case has sparked significant public and political debate about immigration enforcement and compensation payouts.
Jasseh has mounted at least six legal challenges against deportation, including claims related to his mental health and fears of harm if he returned to The Gambia. The Home Office, which has been attempting to deport him for years, has not disclosed whether he has since been removed from the UK.
The ruling adds to growing scrutiny over the Home Office’s handling of long-standing immigration cases, particularly those involving individuals who have committed serious crimes. Despite his compensation award, Jasseh’s presence in the UK remains a contentious issue, with critics questioning the efficacy of the legal system in such cases.
A Home Office spokesman said, ‘We make no apology for wanting to remove foreign national offenders at the earliest opportunity. We work with law enforcement to ensure there is no barrier to deport foreign criminals, as it is in the public interest for these people to be removed swiftly.‘
