In a disturbing development, a Greek Cypriot man living in Scotland has been told he will be deported from the UK within three days, even though his application for pre-settled status is still pending with the Home Office. The case of Costa Koushiappis, 39, raises serious concerns about the treatment of EU citizens in the aftermath of Brexit and the potential continuation of the Home Office’s hostile environment policies under the new Labour government.
Caught in a Bureaucratic Nightmare
Koushiappis, who has been working and residing in Scotland for three years, found himself ensnared in a Kafkaesque situation after his initial application for pre-settled status was rejected. He immediately requested an administrative review and was given an official certificate of application by the Home Office, a document designed to prove his right to work, live, and access services in the UK while his case was being processed.
However, upon returning from a brief trip to Amsterdam, Koushiappis was detained for six hours at Edinburgh airport. Border officials took his fingerprints and informed him that he was lucky to be given a few days, rather than mere hours, to leave the country. This occurred despite Koushiappis presenting his certificate of application and explaining his circumstances.
They said I didn’t have enough or convincing information about my situation. They gave me three days to sort everything out. I said: ‘That is not possible. I have been here for three years living and working here. I have a flat, I have furniture, a vehicle – I can’t just leave things.’ They told me if they wanted to they could put me on a plane that night and they were giving me three days.
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.
– Costa Koushiappis
A Plea for Due Process
Immigration lawyer Andrew Jordan from the charity Settled, which supports vulnerable EU citizens in the UK, emphasized the importance of following due process in Koushiappis’s case. “All we are saying is give this a chance,” he stated. “He has got a pending case. It’s been pending for more than two years and he just wants to wait for that outcome.”
Koushiappis’s employer, Stuart West-Gray, described him as a “star” employee and has been assisting him in dealing with the Home Office and Border Force. Despite providing new share codes from the Home Office confirming Koushiappis’s right to live and work in the UK, Border Force officials maintained that he must hold valid pre-settled status, not just a pending application, to enter as a resident.
A Pattern of Mistreatment
Unfortunately, Koushiappis’s case is not an isolated incident. Several similar cases have emerged in recent months, with EU citizens being threatened with removal at the border despite possessing Home Office documentation of their pending applications.
In January, a Spanish woman was removed from the UK after returning from a Christmas holiday and told she was “wasting her time” if she thought her certificate of application was sufficient. Last month, a Polish man who had lived in the UK since childhood narrowly avoided deportation in a comparable situation.
Lingering Questions and Concerns
The handling of Koushiappis’s case and others like it raises troubling questions about the Home Office’s approach to EU citizens’ rights post-Brexit. Despite the change in government, there are fears that the hostile environment policies introduced by Theresa May to reduce immigration may still be influencing decisions and actions.
As Koushiappis faces the terrifying prospect of being forcibly removed from his home and separated from his life in Scotland, the urgency of addressing these systemic issues becomes increasingly apparent. The Home Office must provide clarity on its procedures and ensure that EU citizens with pending applications are treated fairly and given due process.
The future of countless EU nationals living in the UK hangs in the balance, and cases like Costa Koushiappis’s serve as a stark reminder of the human cost of bureaucratic dysfunction and hostile policies. It is imperative that the government takes swift action to rectify these injustices and uphold the rights of all EU citizens who have made their homes in the United Kingdom.
