Students occupying a building on the Falmer campus this afternoon in protest at the deportation of former student Luqman Onikosi have pledged to remain until the university supports their cause.
@NCAFC_UK @nusuk @nusBSC @USSU #DontDeportLuqman pic.twitter.com/QU9uqLXnd4
— Tara (@taraegrimm) March 9, 2016
Scores of people have locked themselves in and are waving flags from the top of Bramber House, protesting the Home Office’s decision send Mr Onikosi back to Nigeria.
Mr Onikosi’s deportation has been described as a “death sentence”, as he suffers from a chronic liver condition caused by Hepatitis B which his two brothers have died of.
He is requesting to stay in the UK on medical grounds as the NHS has more effective treatments for it.
Mr Onikosi told the Independent: “In Nigeria, there isn’t the medical infrastructure required to keep me alive. My battle to stay in the UK on medical grounds is, therefore, a fight to stay alive.”
Speaking from inside the occupation of the Bramber House conference centre, one student who wished to remain nameless said: “There was a planned demonstration today and students decided to occupy Bramber House after that.
“The doors are locked with bike locks so university management can’t get in.
“The university kicked Luqman off his course when the Home Office told them to. We are occupying to put pressure on the university to stop the government sending Luqman to his death.”
A University of Sussex spokesperson said: “We understand the group of students are supporters of Mr Onikosi, a former student of the University.
“The students are currently based in a conference room in one of our buildings.
“We are, and have always been, very sorry to know of Mr Onikosi’s illness. The status of Mr Onikosi’s visa is a directive from the Home Office and the University is not able to influence that decision in any way.”
The Home Office says an independent immigration judge found Mr Onikosi had no right to remain.
I am sorry for this guy but where do we draw the line
The government are actively sacrificing lives for their political ambitions. The immigration policy makes absolutely no sense and is not fair. 33 000 British people are separated from their non-EU families because of the wage requirements imposed on the British spouse (which are not applied to Europeans with non-EU spouses).
The government is wasting huge sums of tax payers money by forcing people to court where they have a legal right of entry (then obviously, to loose the case because it is illegal denial of rights).
Any judge or individual with dealings with the Home Office knows that they are consistently breaking the law for political gain. Official eviews of the Home Office have been damning.
The UK Immigration Act classifys British people as non-European in order to restrict their right of return back into the UK.
I feel very sorry and sad for him .
Get well soon …