Deportation Threat Looms for British-Born Man Who Has Never Left the UK

A UK-born man, Dmitry Lima, 28, faces deportation to Portugal, his parents' country of origin, despite never having left the UK.

After a prison stint for drug and Taser possession, the Home Office issued a deportation order under post-Brexit laws, which stipulate EU nationals convicted of crimes can be deported for the public good.

Lima, raised in London and unfamiliar with Portuguese, is challenging his deportation, asserting his Britishness and financial inability to previously obtain a passport.

Post-Brexit rules have tightened regarding the deportation of EU nationals with criminal convictions. Lima served two years of a four-and-a-half-year sentence and was transferred to an immigration center post-incarceration.

In his appeal, Lima expressed the emotional toll of potential deportation. The government has proposed a bill to grant British status to individuals like Lima, but it's not yet active.

His lawyer criticizes the Home Office for a lack of records on Lima and ignores his rights, wasting public funds on court proceedings. Lima's case has been taken on by a compassionate small firm to ensure justice. The Home Office has refrained from commenting on his specific case.