In 2006, Willy Mpasi was an hour from being flown to his death after a two-year long battle with the UK Home Office, who were determined to send him back to his home country.
Since arriving in England in 2004, Mpasi had spent two years imprisoned all around the UK having fled the Democratic Republic of Congo for his own life.
The 46-year-old was born in Kinshasa on the west of the DRC and, despite having lived a comfortable life as clinical biologist was caught up in the dictatorship that has ravaged the country in war, poverty and torture.
Mpasi's campaign manager Mike Smith told Suite101 that his friend's life was in danger because of his refusal to commit murders on behalf of the secret service. From their current home in Portsmouth, he explained how Mpasi was helped to escape on a plane with just the clothes on his back and a priest to accompany him.
UK British Immigration Policy
Mpasi arrived at Heathrow Airport in 2004 and immediately claimed asylum but was on his way to becoming one of the hundreds of asylum seekers who have come to his country to be safe from persecution only to be kicked straight out by Britain's asylum system.
He was, as is the standard procedure, given a brief interview on which the Home Office would determine whether or not he was a genuine asylum seeker.
Smith explained that almost invariably, due to lack of evidence, most immigrants are either arrested or dispersed to one of the country's many immigration centres.
Mpasi was labelled a bogus asylum seeker and dumped into a small accommodation in Doncaster with living conditions described as tiny, dirty cubicles.
He was locked up with two other immigrants between 8pm and 8am and had no idea when he would be let out. He claims he was subjected to racial abuse, thin military beds and not a moment of privacy every day for a year.
He was moved from Doncaster to Harmensworth soon after arriving and even had a spell in Emily Prison in Kent because there was not enough room in the immigration centre.
He was moved to Haslar Immigration Centre in Gosport in August 2004 where he befriended Smith and he said, things finally started to brighten up. He was set bail and put together some concrete evidence which he believed would prove for certain his right to stay in the UK as an asylum seeker.
Home Office Desperate to Send Home Asylum Seekers
However, Smith claimed that rather than accept Mpasi's evidence and allow him to settle in the country, the Immigration Office destroyed it, locked him up and booked him on the next flight back to his home country, where Smith said he believes he would surely have been killed.
Smith claimed his friend was put into solitary confinement and was refused a lawyer or phone call. He claimed he had phoned and phoned but was refused permission to speak to Mpasi and so he travelled up to Conbrook Detention Centre near Heathrow where he was being held.
He demanded to speak to his friend but claims he was again denied and was almost arrested himself for his persistence. With just two hours until Mpasi was due to leave, Smith says he was desperately dialling phone numbers.
He says he phoned lawyer after lawyer before calling Amnesty International who managed to save Mpasi just one hour before being flown to what Smith feared was his inevitable death.
No further action was taken against the Home Office who still deny receiving the evidence sent by Smith even though he claims he has a confirmation delivery slip from The Royal Mail. They have set new removal directions and continued fighting to get Mpasi off British shores.
The Future for Willy Mpasi
Mpasi has been granted temporary admission from jail and is fighting to get a fresh asylum application. His campaign has been supported by fellow countryman and good friend, former Portsmouth F.C striker Lomano Lua Lua.
Despite all his suffering, Mpasi says he has coped thanks to his faith in God. He is now living with Smith's family who are also Christian.
Mpasi, who begun to learn English from Highbury College lecturers whilst at Haslar, has his prayers translated to the congregation by Smith, who also speaks French.
He would be allowed to worship meetings every day whilst in detention and now visits other detention centres around the country with Smith and preaches with others in the same situation.
Smith stressed that Mpasi's position in the country remains precarious.
When asked about the hopes for the future, Mpasi told Suite101: "Tomorrow belongs to God. Whatever comes we are ultimately in God's hands. Jesus is bigger than any problems. There is no time for worries or depression when Jesus is around."
Smith said he is disgusted by the way Britain treats asylum seekers.
He said: "Every week, this country, the United Kingdom Government are returning hundreds of people to their deaths and to persecution because the mentality is 'let's kick them out as quickly as possible if we possibly can. We don't care what their story is.'"
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