Neighbour has been taken to a detention centre

[pumpkinlu]

Dear all,

I am here again looking for some immigration advice. We moved to a new house a few months ago and got to know the neighbours. After mentioning we worked in the legal and diplomacy sectors (although we do not specialise in anything immigration-related and our knowledge of this area is very limited), one of our neighbours told us about his issues with the Home Office. He was an Albanian national, but also had an Italian passport and this is how he came to the UK years ago. However, a couple of years ago he lost his passport, did not report it or get a new one. He mainly worked in construction/building works throughout his time in the UK and was arrested following a random check at his employer's about a year and half ago because he could not produce any valid identity documents. He has a British partner and a child in the UK and they have been living together for about 4 years, but they were not married. The Home Office let him go and continue to live in the UK with his family, but he had to report to the local Home Office centre once a week.

Now, the relationship with his partner broke down last week (from what we have observed and what he told us it has not been working out for some time) and a couple of days later he was taken to a detention centre (following a call by his partner to the Home Office). Now, his partner does not seem to be interested at all as to what happens to the father of her child and has not even asked where he has been sent to or tried to help in any way.

My partner and I are quite concerned about the guy and we would like to find out where he has been taken and, if possible, visit and talk to him and see if we can help in any way. His English is quite poor and he is not the brightest man around, so he might struggle understanding the situation and it might be difficult for him to talk to a lawyer if he has access to one. However, we found him to be a very nice neighbour and a friendly guy and we would like to help, if we can. There is also a small child who might never see her father again.

Our issue is that we do not know his full name and we also do not know where exactly he has been taken to. Does anyone have any experience with how this all works and if there is any way to find out where he might be and organise a visit? We understand he would need to agree to see us (which we are sure he will), but how can we find out where he is in the first place?

All suggestions or other advice will be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.

L.

[Wanderer]

My money's on the the Italian passport being false and this is why he's being detained.

[pumpkinlu]

@Wanderer: That is certaintly a (likely) option and we consider this would explain why he did not apply for a new one. He also did not apply for his Albanian documents so there is another question mark there, there might have been ways how to legalise his stay in the UK... We cannot exclude that he is a wanted criminal in Albania or something.

Yet, the Home Office seemed to be quite fine with him staying, subject to the weekly reporting to their office, until now and it seems the trigger was the call with his expartner? We are really just trying to understand more how this all works and also if there is any way to help?