Albanian criminal allowed to stay in Britain as son 'doesn't like foreign chicken nuggets' after deportation branded 'unduly harsh'
Kevis Disha, 39, was found to have entered the UK illegally as an unaccompanied minor
An Albanian criminal who entered Britain illegally under a false name more than 20 years ago will be allowed to stay in Britain, after his lawyer argued that his son 'disliked the texture of foreign chicken nuggets'.
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Klevis Disha, 39, entered Britain illegally under a fake name in 2001, later lying on his failed asylum claim to stay in Britain.
Disha, who was 15 at the time, "entered the UK illegally as an unaccompanied minor", judges were told.
But despite being handed a two-year jail sentence in 2017 after being found with £250,000 in cash - money that was determined to be the proceeds of crime by police, Disha has now been handed indefinite leave to remain.
Appealing his deportation under the Human Rights Act, the criminal insisted deportation would be "unduly hard" as his son "did not eat the type of chicken nuggets available abroad."
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At the time, Nigel Farage told LBC he "just wanted to cry" over claims human rights rules led to the halting of the Albanian’s deportation.
His right to stay in the UK comes despite appeals by the Home Office.
Under guidance, his sentence - which amounted to more than a year behind bars, meant he should be deported.
Mr Farage's comments come after it was revealed Disha's son had a number of sensory issues and a limited diet.
Speaking exclusively with Nick Ferrari at Breakfast at the time, the Reform UK leader hit out at on the judge's ruling alongside other similar cases, claiming deportations are being negatively impacted by the European Constitution of Human Rights (ECHR).
The Home Office subsequently appealed the ruling, with a recent tribunal noting just one reason for Disha to remain in a tribunal relating to his son, known only as 'C'.
"We can only see in the decision a single example of why "C" could not go to Albania: "C" will not eat the type of chicken nuggets available abroad," the transcript read.
A series of hearings taking place over the course of a year saw Judge Veloso ultimately rule in Disha's favour, under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act.
The judge noted that 'C' "struggles with certain textures of foods" and "has a limited diet" thus would struggle should he be deported.
During the tribunal, the judge dismissed claims made by the Home Office that 'C' spoke Albanian as a first language and does not have a formal autism diagnosis.
"Disha's deportation would be unduly harsh for "C"."
"I know, you read this stuff and you just want to cry," Mr Farage told LBC at the time.
"And this is all because of the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into British law, which our judges rule on again, and again, and again."
It comes as Nigel Farage threw his weight behind farmers staging a tractor protest outside Parliament on Monday, urging them to keep up the pressure against Labour’s planned inheritance tax changes.
"The government, today, will put out their videos of them deporting people who are here illegally. What they won’t tell you is that half of those who have gone have gone voluntarily, some have been given money to go," Mr Farage added.
Posing a questions to Yvette Cooper, Mr Starmer said: "How many of those who have crossed the channel in small boats, since he became Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, how many of those have been deported?
Adding: "And I think the answer is zero."
Speaking with Nick on Monday, the Reform leader also weighed in on the prospect of possible by-elections after a second Labour MP was caught up in a WhatsApp group where homophobic, sexist and anti-Semitic messages were sent.
MP for Burnley Oliver Ryan has been exposed as the second Labour politician to be part of a vile WhatsApp group named "Trigger Me Timbers."
It comes after Health Minister Andrew Gwynne was sacked and suspended from the Labour Party on Saturday over his comments in the group.
Confirming his party's sights are now firmly set on the newly available seats in the North of England, Mr Farage added: "We're coming for the Labour vote".
"If there were by-elections in the North of England, I think Reform would be in a very strong position to win them," Farage told LBC.
"We’ve had a phenomenal, a phenomenal few months with momentum behind the party. We hit our 200,000th paid member yesterday and you know what? We’ve coming for that Labour vote," he added.
"All the journalists talk about that rivalry between me and Kemi Badenoch and Boris - but it’s the Labour vote we’re after. And that’s where our big gains are coming."
Speaking out on immigration off the back of Mr Disha's case, the Reform leader told Nick that it was time to remove barriers put in place by the ECHR.
Disha, who could still be forced to leave the UK, was stripped of his citizenship in 2021 after serving two years in prison when he was caught with £300,000 known to be proceeds of crime.
Following his conviction it was found he had acquired his citizenship “through deception”.
But an immigration tribunal ruled it would be "unduly harsh" for his 10-year-old son, known as 'C' in court documents, to return to Albania with his father owing to food sensitivities, sensory issues and difficulties communicating emotions.
Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, Border Security Minister Dame Angela Eagle revealed the Home Secretary had appealed the decision.
She told Nick: "The Home Secretary actually appealed that as soon as soon as it became clear that is the decision that's been made, that is not a final decision yet. The court processes aren't over yet. When we appeal things they often get overturned."