A Brighton student detained by the Home Office for working as a taxi driver in his spare time has been released from detention – but still faces deportation.
Civil engineering masters student Shukaib, 23, was seized by immigration officials on Saturday at the City Cabs office in Queens Road, because although his visa allows him to work part time, it did not allow him to do so on a self-employed basis.
Shukaib says he was not aware of this technicality, and had assumed that as he had passed the rigorous checks, including immigration checks, carried out by Brighton and Hove City Council when gaining his license, he was allowed to work.
All of City Cabs 250 other drivers were also checked on Saturday, but Shukaib was the only driver seized, and the cab company was told it had done nothing wrong.
A spokesman for the Home Office said: “He has been ordered to report to the Home Office regularly while steps are taken to remove him.”
His caseworker Ray Rayan said: “He was released, but the Home Office still want him to leave and he hasn’t been given permission to complete his Masters.”
This isn’t fair to him. It takes months to take taxi license. Why wasn’t he never asked or told that he is not allowed? For such mistake they shouldn’t only blame him. Deporting is an extreme penalty and he does not deserve this, he is a postgraduate student.
What is wrong to let him finish his masters and then he will leave without any doubts.