Albanian man avoids deportation despite cannabis farming conviction

An Albanian man, Erind Koka, 33, has avoided deportation from the UK after a judge ruled he is not considered a "foreign criminal." Koka first entered Britain illegally on a lorry in October 2019 after several attempts spanning seven years. Koka was jailed in February 2020 for his involvement in cannabis farming. He received an eight-month prison sentence. In February 2022, authorities decided to deport him, citing his criminal behavior as harmful to public safety. However, after he appealed in October 2023, a judge found that Koka did not meet the legal criteria for being labeled a "foreign criminal." The judge determined that Koka's eight-month sentence did not qualify under the law, which requires a minimum sentence of 12 months or a conviction for causing serious harm. Koka had previously claimed refugee status but withdrew his application in 2023. The Home Office challenged the judge's decision, but the ruling was upheld. Koka’s case is part of a larger backlog of nearly 75,000 deportation appeal cases currently in the immigration courts. The government is considering changing laws to speed up asylum appeals but is facing challenges due to a shortage of judges.