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Failed asylum seeker sues government for £120,000
9 Feb 2009A failed asylum seeker detained after he was caught with a fake passport is suing the Government, it was revealed today.
Sarmadi Sayid is seeking damages of nearly £120,000 and has been awarded legal aid for his High Court action.
The 38-year-old arrived in the UK from Kenya in May 2006. He spent 87 days in custody and was refused asylum.
He is claiming £1,000 a day in compensation and damages of £28,000.
It is his fourth judicial review and a third is still making its way through the courts.
A relative, speaking from his north London home, told The Sun: "He just wants to stay in the country. His whole family is here - his mother and everything."
The Home Office has pledged to defend the case "robustly".
Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said: "I believe there are lawyers and certain groups that delay removals without justification, play the system and offer false hope.
"We want to help those that come to the UK who have a genuine claim for asylum.
"In fact, I believe we have one of the fairest systems in the world, with decisions made by an independent judge and cases turned round as quickly as possible.
"When people are told they have no right to stay, we expect them to go home voluntarily, saving the taxpayer the £11,000 cost of an enforced removal. In 2007 we removed a person every eight minutes."
Reader views (9)
The way that this country's judicial system is going, I think I might be happy to swap places with Mr Said. I'm afraid that I am ashamed to be part of a nation that pays illegals to fight immigration, that allows known criminals to come to the country to commit further crimes and then even fight extradition orders for them. Whilst our health and education systems continue to fail, I am so pleased that my taxes are being used so positively...
- Dom Kelly, West Wickham, 10/02/2009 15:31
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I fear for the future of race relations in this country, accounts like this only add grist to the mill of racial unrest.
- Gary, London, 09/02/2009 22:50
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What a sick country we live in being run by complete fools. Someone enters our country nearly three years ago using a false passport and they are still here?
We ask failed asylum seekers nicely will they leave.
We are truly bankrupt in every way.
- Darren Williams, Manchester, UK, 09/02/2009 17:50
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How come this man is entitled to legal aid? Has he paid into this country?
- Norcot, Oakham UK, 09/02/2009 17:50
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How on earth was he awarded legal aid? There should be a root and branch review of the legal aid system and this should be a pretty good test case to start with. On what grounds is a non-British national, who does not pay tax or hold a passport awarded taxpayer funded legal aid? Ignoring the fact that he has already broken the law and failed in a legitimate attempt at claiming asylum.
- Mark, London, 09/02/2009 17:17
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Sack the officials who granted Legal Aid - after taking the costs back out of their wages !
- Cap, London, 09/02/2009 17:14
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"When people are told they have no right to stay, we expect them to go home voluntarily, saving the taxpayer the £11,000 cost of an enforced removal. In 2007 we removed a person every eight minutes." LIE! A removal every 8 minutes would lead to an annual figure of 65,700. The real figure (NAO stats) for 2007 was less than 20,000.
This man should have been removed on the same day as his application was refused.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 09/02/2009 16:54
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Fake passport, failed asylum seeker, legal aid, fourth judicial review - he and his kind and all the pathetic 'do gooders' and 'human rights activists' are taking the mickey out of this Country and our ridiculous judicial system facilitates it. What a sorry state we're in.
- Nigel, St Albans, 09/02/2009 16:45
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Words can't describe my feelings about this.
- Scott, London, 09/02/2009 15:53
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