An asylum seeker who was deported under a “procedurally unfair” fast-track system is at the centre of a new battle with the Home Office to stay in the UK, in a case which could have repercussions for thousands of people whose applications to stay in Britain were rejected.

The 27-year-old woman, known as PN, was made to return to her native Uganda in 2013 but later had her deportation overturned by a high court judge. Her case hit the headlines last summer because it was the first time anyone who had been removed from the UK under a sped-up process known as “detained fast track”, which was introduced in 2005 and found to be unlawful in 2017, was brought back to the UK by the Home Office so that their immigration case could be reconsidered.

A high court judge ruled that her removal from the UK was “procedurally unfair” and that the Home Office must bring her back. She was returned to the UK last year.

Now the government are seeking to overturn that court order. The fate of thousands of others deported under “detained fast track” could be affected by the outcome of this case.

Speaking before the new court hearing, PN said she was distressed about the legal challenge. “This is really disturbing. I have been through too much and I’m still suffering,” she said. “I was very surprised when I heard the Home Office is bringing this case today.”

The woman claimed asylum in the UK in 2011 at the age of 17, saying that as a lesbian her life would be at risk in Uganda. She was removed from the UK in 2013 after her asylum claim was rejected because the Home Office said they did not believe she was a lesbian.

During her time in Uganda after she was made to leave the UK, PN said she was gang-raped, became pregnant as a result of the incident and gave birth to a child conceived during the attack.




More than 10,000 cases were decided in the period when the fast-track appeals system was operational. After a judicial review hearing last year, the high court ruled that because of the unfairness PN had faced, the decision rejecting her asylum claim should be quashed and she should be brought back to the UK for her case to be considered afresh.

Sulaiha Ali of Duncan Lewis solicitors, representing PN, said: “We hope PN will finally be allowed to have a fair and lawful resolution to her asylum claim which will in turn, enable her to recover from the rape and additional trauma she faced after the Home Office removed her from the UK.”

Karen Doyle of Movement For Justice described the Home Office’s challenge to PN’s return in today’s court hearing as “disgraceful”.

“Fast-track was a terribly unjust and inhuman process. Thousands were removed. They all deserve justice,” she said.

The Home Office has been approached for comment. The case continues.