Today, the Daily Mail reported that an illegal Bolivian immigrant won the right to remain in Britain because he has a girlfriend and a cat. The court decided that sending him back to his country would be a breech of his human rights – because clearly, having a cat and a girlfriend means that the guy has a life set up in Britain – despite being an illegal immigrant… Yeah, OK British Government!!! 

Anyone who has been following European news in the last few months will know about the “Jungle” in Calais, and how Britain, with it’s absurd immigration and welfare policies is just chucking money and housing at people – hence the ever increasing numbers of migrants and people on welfare. I believe that any government that has the resources to help people from war-torn/third world countries is obliged to do so –  but in a way that is going to be advantageous to both countries, the helper and the helpee. But for a country like Britain – that has enough issues of its own – to just open up its boarders and allow anyone and everyone entry is making a mockery of immigration law and the British Government as a whole. 

So this Bolivian guy managed to successfully prove – in front of a panel of judges and with the help of his solicitor – that the fact that he and his girlfriend had brought a cat together was enough to not have him deported. The Home Office responded by saying that this decision was a “disappointment” and failed to understand how the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal could take into account the ownership of a cat when dealing with an illegal immigrant’s deportation case. 

So, you might ask, what will the follow up be to this completely harebrained decision? Well, I think that the next step would be for all illegal immigrants to get cats. Maybe the Government could waste some more money by printing directions to animal shelters on asylum seeker leaflets. Or alternatively immigrants can pick up a stray cat. Since there is a big problem with stray cats in Britain, this could potentially help to alleviate the issue. They’d be killing two birds with one cat! In turn, illegal immigrants could probably argue that by picking up a stray cat, they are actually helping the government, as well as making a life for themselves – and the rescued cat! Look out for the next RSPCA press release: ‘Record Number of Cats Re-Homed” 

Going back to the actual story though, during the official ruling, one of the immigration judges remarked that “the cat need no longer fear having to adapt to Bolivian mice”. Cute, but you’re in a courtroom dealing with a DEPORTATION case… not really the time to be cute… Seriously British Government, what on earth is going on? Maybe the next news story like this will read ‘Migrant Spared Deportation Because he Loves EastEnders’.. Ridiculous! 

The immigrant’s name – along with the name of his cat – were kept secret on the court documents to maintain the privacy of the defendant. But kudos Bolivian guy, I wish Canadian immigration laws were like this, as I had a cat, boyfriend, job, apartment and still couldn’t get my papers extended!