Petition launched to stop Vietnamese trafficking victim from being deported

Duc Kien Nguyen was trafficked into the UK from his home country and was forced to work on an illegal cannabis farm.

He was subsequently arrested in a raid and imprisoned. He now faces deportation, despite the UK government recognising his victimhood status.

He is being supported by the Glasgow Unity Centre, which has launched an urgent appeal, calling on Qatar Airlines not to transport him back to Vietnam tomorrow.

Following his arrest, Duc applied for asylum while he served a six month prison sentence for drug offences.

He was released into an immigration detention centre and eventually housed in Glasgow where he has accrued thousands of hours’ volunteering work in the community.

Explaining his situation, he said: “I was forced to a house where I have to grow cannabis without a chance to escape because of gangster and underworld groups. I was arrested and served six months in prison, during this time I have lodged a claim for asylum.

“During the time in both prison and detention I have tried my best to do anything which helpful for you and your country as to repay for the harm I have done earlier and become a good Christian.”

MP for Glasgow North East, Paul Sweeney, told CommonSpace: “Notwithstanding his conviction for drug offences, a Home Office competent authority on Potential Victims of Human Trafficking concluded last August that there were reasonable grounds to conclude that Mr Nguyen was a victim of trafficking.

“That conclusion raises questions about whether Mr Nguyen’s offences were committed under duress.

“Since his conviction appears to form the basis of the Home Office’s case for removal I think it is important that every avenue is exhausted before the Deportation Order is enforced.”

View the petition here