An Iraqi pedophile was spared deportation from Britain after he claimed to fear persecution in his home country due to being bisexual.
The man known only as MA due to an anonymity order, entered the UK illegally in September 2017.
In November 2018 he was jailed for 10 months for abusing a child and was ordered to sign the sex offender register.
The Mirror reports: Home Office officials wanted to deport him after his sentence. Deportation papers were signed and in 2019 an order was made to turf him out of Britain.
But the pervert won a last-ditch legal bid to stay after telling an immigration tribunal he should be protected on human rights grounds “on the basis of his bisexuality” as he was at risk of “honour-based violence”. He also claimed protection under his right to a family life in the UK.
Contesting the ruling, Home Secretary Suella Braverman claimed that MA told “numerous lies”.
Government lawyers said: “It is not accepted the appellant is at risk of persecution because of his sexuality and it is considered his deportation is in the public interest given the offence committed and likelihood of reoffending.”
But upper tribunal judge Therese Kamara, sitting in Central London, backed the initial ruling. She told the appeal hearing: “The fear of persecution at the hands of his family owing to his sexuality is a relevant factor.
“As is the potential risk from the public, discrimination by the authorities [and] the absence of protection for LGBTI people.”