A TURKISH gangster has won a two-year battle against deportation from the UK — because he is married to an EU citizen.
He was detained after organised crime links were revealed by an undercover police probe.
Home Secretary Priti Patel described him as a “serious threat to public security” — but three Appeal Court judges last week blocked government efforts to deport the gang leader, identified only as Mr A.
A Whitehall source said: “He is a really bad bloke but the court has said there are no grounds for removing him.
“This case has underlined yet again what is wrong with the immigration system and strengthened our determination to reform it.” Mr A is living openly in the community and both his identity and the precise details of the case have been kept secret.
Tory MP Tim Loughton, who sits on the Commons home affairs committee, said: “It can’t be right that being married to an EU citizen trumps being seen as a serious threat to public safety.
“This is another extraordinary decision whereby our links to the EU mean that seriously undesirable criminals are left at liberty in the UK.
“Hopefully, we can put this kind of outrage to public safety behind us after December 31 and allow elected ministers to decide who is safe to remain in our country.”
Mr A was detained after detectives compiled a dossier that linked him to financial crimes, guns and revenge attacks overseas.
He fought to stay here on the grounds he had not been convicted of criminal offences in the UK and is married to an EU citizen.
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