• The girlfriend of a 26-year-old has taken to Twitter to chronicle what she says is unfair treatment meted out to her boyfriend even though he is eligible to apply for an EU settlement scheme
• Joseph Bediako is on the brink of deportation to Ghana even though he has neither family or home in Ghana
• His girlfriend has started a hashtag #FreeingJoey to get authorities to respond to her pleas
Mylondon.news is reporting that a 26-year-old UK-based Ghanaian faces deportation to Ghana in three days after being detained in immigration removal centers for over 25 days, and even though his family are EU citizens.
The report says that Joseph Bediako has been detained in Brook House Immigration Removal Centre since early May and was issued a deportation notice to Ghana for June 2, although he has no family or house in Ghana.
Details indicate that Joseph was born in Ghana but came to the UK in 2017 although his father, mother and sister are EU citizens.
Joseph’s girlfriend, Amoura Curry, told the portal that Joseph is eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme but has been “blocked from applying”, adding that he is “on the brink of ripping his head off” in the detention centre.
She adds that he is “frightened” of deportation as he has no “family, home or bank account in Ghana”.
Amoura said Joseph’s mother and father are Italian nationals and Joseph’s dad has worked and lived in the UK since 2016, making it eligible for Joseph to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, and granting him the right to live and work in the UK.
Joseph, 26, is said to have been detained at the Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre on May 5 this year without warning, before later being relocated to Brook House.
His girlfriend says he has “deteriorated” while being in Brook House during which period he has been tempting to secure his status in the UK through the EU settlement scheme since October 2020.
“The person I knew on May 4 is not the person I see going forward, it’s almost like I’ve met somebody else. Some days I see him and he’s completely unresponsive and it’s really hard to communicate with him.
“Some days he’s really terrified – if a door slams, he jumps out of his skin. This is somebody who does things for thrills… who is now shaking,” she is reported to have said.
Amoura claims Joseph has been ‘blocked from applying’ while being in the detention centre and is urging the Home Office to allow him to apply to the scheme, with the deadline looming for applications to the EU settlement scheme on 30 June.
She has also criticized the Brook House for not giving Joseph enough food, stating that, “He’s losing weight, I can see his bones and collar bones. His muscles are wasting away, he feels weak and dizzy and has big dark circles [under his eyes.]
“We live in the sixth richest country in the world and we can’t give them food?”
Making the claims in a Twitter post, she wrote: “Joey has had guards come into his cell in the middle of the night whilst he’s on suicide watch and verbally abuse and taunt him to the point he’s so panicked he cannot verbalize his thoughts or feelings.
“He has been subject to inhumane treatment in Brook House.”
Meanwhile, the deportation notice given to Joseph to Ghana, is for June 2.
Also, the Home Office claims they have not received proof of Joseph’s parent’s nationality.
Amoura, 22, also claims Joseph’s phone and sim card were found in a bin in Brook House when she went to visit him, adding that the staff “don’t know how it got there”.
“The public rightly expects us to remove those who have no right to be in the UK. We expect people to leave the country voluntarily but, where they do not, Immigration Enforcement will seek to enforce their departure.
“We take our responsibilities towards detained individuals’ health and welfare very seriously. The provision of 24-hour, seven-days-a-week healthcare in all IRCs ensures that detained individuals have ready access to medical professionals and levels of primary care in line with individuals in the community.
“The Home Office has not received an application from Mr Bediako to the EU Settlement Scheme,” a Home Office spokesperson said.
Amoura is raising awareness of Joseph’s situation on Twitter with the hashtag #FreeingJoey even as Joseph’s flight to Ghana is set to take off on Wednesday, June 2, from the Heathrow Airport.
