You might remember back in March our story 'Shock Horror: UKBA Refuse To Lock People Up!' about two Indian nationals who had been sleeping rough on the suburban streets of Leicester throughout the recent harsh winter, surviving on the handouts of locals. Sarbjit Singh and Ashok Masah were destitute, having lost their passports and all other forms of identity and consequently were being refused entry back into India even if they could have afforded the airfare. The UK Borders Agency were also refusing to become involved and it took a (less than supportive) campaign by the local Leicester Mercury and the subsequent involvement of local MP Keith Vaz to set the bureaucratic wheels in motion.
Now the 2 men have finally been detained by the UKBA, which is apparently good news for Mr Singh as the Indian High Commission at long last have arranged a passport for him. However, for Mr Masah things appear to be less rosy as he evidently remains intent on continuing to refuse to communicate, let alone cooperate, with the authorities. It not even known whether he wished to return to India or not. Consequently the Indian government will not issue him with travel documents and he will remain in immigration limbo, banged up in a detention centre somewhere in England.
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