Convicted Albanian Drug Dealer Who Was Jailed Twice Wins the Right to Stay in the UK After Judge Heard One Family Detail

An Albanian man who was convicted of drug offences has been allowed to remain in the UK after an immigration tribunal heard that deporting him could have a serious impact on his young daughter.

Shpresim Koka, 38, told the court that his daughter suffers from bedwetting and needs ongoing therapeutic support. It was argued that her condition became worse while he was serving time in prison and that removing him from the UK could have a damaging effect on her emotional and mental wellbeing.

Koka arrived in Britain in 2001 when he was 14 years old. At the time, he claimed to be a refugee from Kosovo.

Years later, in 2017, he was sentenced to 21 months in prison after being involved in a money laundering operation linked to a drug gang. Investigators from the National Crime Agency caught him after he handed over more than £300,000 in Park Royal, west London.

After completing that prison sentence, Koka was expected to be deported from the UK. However, he remained in the country and was later jailed again, this time for three years after being convicted of cocaine dealing.

Despite his criminal record, Koka appealed against his deportation. During the appeal, the tribunal was told that his daughter has special emotional and therapeutic needs and that separating her from her father would have a severe effect on her wellbeing.

In February, the First-tier Tribunal ruled that deporting Koka would have an “unduly harsh” impact on his daughter, allowing him to stay in the UK for the time being.

The Home Office is understood to have challenged that ruling, and a fresh hearing has now been ordered to reconsider whether he should be removed from the country.

Robert Bates, from the Centre for Migration Control, criticised the decision. He said someone with Koka’s criminal history should not be allowed to remain in Britain and argued that, if necessary, his daughter could return to Albania with him if he is eventually deported.

The case is expected to be reviewed again as the legal battle over Koka’s future in the UK continues.