A Ghanaian pastor, Samuel Frimpong, deported from the UK for using fake documents has won his legal battle to return, after a judge ruled that keeping him out would be an “unjustifiable interference” with his human rights.
Pastor Samuel Frimpong was sentenced to four months in prison in 2008 for using false documents to bypass immigration rules.
Following his conviction, he was issued a deportation order and was removed from the UK in 2013.
Since then, he has lived in Ghana, struggling with depression while being separated from his wife and two children, now aged 11 and 15.
His wife testified that the children feel “socially isolated” due to his absence and frequently ask when he will return.
Although he initially had permission to appeal his deportation, Mr. Frimpong failed to follow through and was later classified as an “absconder.”
In 2022, the UK Home Office upheld the deportation order, and a First-Tier Immigration Tribunal rejected his appeal in early 2023.
However, upon escalating his case to the Upper Tribunal, Judge Abid Mahmood ruled in his favor, stating that deportation had caused significant hardship for his family and that relocating the children to Ghana would be an “insurmountable obstacle.”
While the government argued that Mr. Frimpong’s deception undermined immigration control, the judge noted that he had shown remorse, had no further criminal record, and had since been working as a pastor.
“The offence was over 16 years ago, and there has been no recorded reoffending,” the judge said. “He has apologised profusely and has sought to make amends.”
With the deportation order revoked, Mr. Frimpong is now eligible to apply for entry clearance to return to the UK and reunite with his family.
