UK Edition
An asylum seeker who was previously forced to leave the UK has been arrested after trying to re-enter the country by crossing the Channel in a small dinghy.
Border Force officers discovered Aziz Akakhel, 32, in a small boat attempting to travel from France to England on Oct 29. The Afghan national was taken to Manston immigration centre, where he was charged with arriving in the UK without a passport.
A court heard that Akakhel first entered the UK hidden in a lorry in 2007. He claimed asylum in January that year, but the application was refused a month later. He appealed against the decision, but was unsuccessful.
He then vanished before being arrested while trying to get on a ferry at the Port of Dover 10 years later. He claimed he had been living in Italy since 2014 and was again deported.
Akakhel was charged with entering the UK without valid entry clearance for his attempted crossing this year and pleaded guilty at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on Nov 22.
Reported as an absconder
Sidumiso Mayo, prosecuting, told magistrates that Home Office records revealed Akakhel’s first attempt to enter the country in a lorry in 2007.
She said: “He claimed for asylum in January 2007 and this was refused in February 2007. He appealed the decision in April that year and this again was refused in July the same year and he was put on reported restrictions but was reported as an absconder.”
She explained the Home Office heard nothing from Akakhel until January 2017, when he was arrested at the Port of Dover, adding: “He told officials he was trying to get to Italy via France, where he said he had been since 2014.”
The court was told Akakhel then agreed to voluntarily be taken back to Italy and was sent to Rome in 2017. Ms Mayo said: “There was no further contact with him until he was intercepted in the Channel on Oct 29 this year."
The case is being sent to Canterbury Crown Court for sentencing, and a date is yet to be fixed.