A Pakistani national convicted of dealing class A and B drugs has avoided deportation after an immigration tribunal ruled that his removal would affect his mental health and noted his past performance as a “star pupil”.
The tribunal upheld Muhammad Izhan’s appeal against deportation after he was sentenced to 30 months in prison for taking part in what the court described as a “sophisticated” drugs operation between 2022 and 2023, The Telegraph reported.
The court was told he joined the drug ring because of his “inability to properly regulate his ADHD”.
Upper Tribunal Judge Luke Bulpitt rejected the Home Office’s attempt to deport Izhan, citing several mental health diagnoses and his school record.
Data revealed by The Telegraph last week showed Pakistanis accounted for one in 10 asylum claims in the past year, totalling more than 11,000.
The tribunal heard Izhan moved to the UK in 2010 at age seven. He had earlier been cautioned for shoplifting and for bringing a bladed weapon into school.
First-Tier Tribunal Judge Samina Iqbal found he had been “fully immersed in his school life” and had been a “star pupil”.
Judge Bulpitt said deportation would “have a negative impact on his mental health” and that Izhan would face “very significant obstacles to integration” if returned to Pakistan.
