On Tuesday 19 November the UK High Court ruled that Nigerian Ifa Muaza was to remain in custody at Harmondsworth immigration removal centre despite being close to death following an 85 day hunger strike. Muaza claims he left his native Nigeria after the extremist Islamist group Boko Haram threatened to kill him unless he joined their ranks. His deteriorating physical condition prompted the Home Office to issue an “end of life plan” for the Nigerian asylum seeker. In a recent interview with the Guardian newspaper, Muaza revealed he was prepared to die rather than return to Nigeria. Muaza’s solicitor, Sue Willman said she was considering an appeal of the High Court’s decision but that this would very much depend on her client’s state of health.
Despite calls for Muaza’s release from various sectors of society, the UK government attempted to deport Mr Muaza in the past week. The attempted deportation took place after Muaza was carried to the plane on a stretcher. Ultimately the plane returned to the UK 20 hours later with Muaza on board after the plane was refused entry into Nigerian air space. Labour’s shadow immigration minister David Hanson questioned the conduct of the Home Secretary Theresa May in her handling of Muaza’s case, saying “How could the Home Office could put a man in this medical condition on a long flight at taxpayers’ expense with no agreement from anyone that the plane could actually land? Deportations should be carried out with competence and humanity”.
Click here to read an account of Ifa Muaza’s ongoing hunger strike in the Guardian, and click here to read an article about his attempted deportation.
Click here to read an article in the Independent.