An EU citizen facing deportation due to a backlog of residency applications is set to be removed by Border Force officials in Scotland. Costa Koushiappis, a 39-year-old Greek Cypriot, has been ordered to appear at Edinburgh Airport at 7 a.m. on Friday for forced removal to Amsterdam. This comes shortly after he was informed by the Home Office that his application could take up to 24 additional months to process.
The situation raises concerns about whether the new Labour government has effectively tackled the hostile environment policy established by Theresa May to curb immigration. Koushiappis’s initial application for pre-settled status, which is meant for individuals in the UK for under five years before Brexit, was denied, prompting him to seek an administrative review.
He received an official certificate of application from the Home Office, which is intended to confirm his right to work and reside in the UK while awaiting a decision. However, after returning from a brief trip to Amsterdam, he was detained for six hours at Edinburgh Airport, where officials took his fingerprints and informed him that he lacked sufficient grounds to remain in the UK.
Koushiappis presented his certificate of application and detailed his three years of residence and work in the UK, noting that he had lived in the country prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, he was told by Border Force officers that he had not provided enough convincing evidence regarding his situation. He was given only three days to resolve the matter, which he argued was insufficient given his established life in the UK, including having a flat, furniture, and a vehicle.
It has been reported that the Home Office does not acknowledge Koushiappis’s account of the Border Force encounter, asserting that a thorough discussion had occurred and that his administrative review would continue despite the removal order.
Koushiappis expressed his frustration, stating, “I am in a foreign country. I am doing the best I can. I contribute to society. I pay my bills, I pay my rent, I pay my tax.” Andrew Jordan, an immigration lawyer with the charity Settled, which aids vulnerable EU citizens in the UK, remarked on the unfortunate nature of the situation, emphasizing the importance of adhering to due process.
Jordan urged for patience, noting that Koushiappis’s case has been pending for over two years and he simply wishes to wait for the outcome. His employer, Stuart West-Gray, described him as a “star” employee and has been assisting him in navigating the Border Force issue. West-Gray reported that the Home Office provided two new share codes confirming Koushiappis’s rights to live and work in the UK, yet Border Force deemed this insufficient.
An officer stated in an email that any EU/EEA national seeking entry as a resident must possess valid EUSS status or relevant entry clearance for their intended category. Koushiappis’s situation is among several similar cases where EU citizens displaying a certificate of application have faced threats of deportation at the border.
In January, a Spanish woman was removed from the UK upon her return from a Christmas holiday, having been told her Home Office documentation was inadequate. Last month, a Polish man who had lived in the UK since childhood received a last-minute reprieve after encountering a similar predicament.
