Last-minute reprieve for DRC national

A judge has halted the removal of a man who has lived in the UK since childhood just hours before he was due to be deported to the DRC. Stonemason Habib Bazaboko (39) fled to the UK at the age of 11 after his father was murdered. The Guardian reports that he has been convicted of grievous bodily harm and other offences nearly a decade ago. His lawyers made urgent last-minute representations to the upper tribunal (immigration and asylum chamber) and Judge Nadine Finch issued an order preventing the removal, saying a new report about the dangers of returning to DRC 'needs to be considered'. 'I feel as if a big heavy lump of concrete has been lifted from my shoulders,' Bazaboko said afterwards. The report notes that his sister Linda said Bazaboko 'has a lot of mental health problems ... he won’t be able to get his regular medication in Congo'.

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