Aziz Akakhel, 32, was stopped by Border Force officers between France and England in October (Picture: PA)
A man who spent a decade on the run has been arrested again after a history of attempting to enter the UK illegally.
Aziz Akakhel, 32, was stopped by Border Force officers in a dinghy between France and England on October 29.
They took Akakhel, from Afghanistan, to the Manston immigration centre and he was charged with arriving in the UK without a valid entry clearance – i.e. a passport.
He denied the allegation when he appeared at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on November 11, but the case was adjourned so an interpreter could be found.
He then reappeared in court on November 22 and pleaded guilty.
Sidumiso Mayo, prosecuting, told the court it was not Akakhel’s first attempt at entering the UK.
He tried to enter the country while hidden in the back of a lorry some 15 years ago in 2007.
She said: ‘He claimed for asylum in January 2007 and this was refused in February 2007.
Akakhel, from Afghanistan, was taken to the Manston immigration centre and he was charged with arriving in the UK without a valid entry clearance (Picture: PA)
He pleaded guilty to the charge at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court in November (Picture: Google Maps)
‘He appealed the decision in April that year and this again was refused in July the same year and he was put on reported restrictions but was reported as an absconder.’
He then vanished for a decade – when he said he was living in Italy – but was arrested again in January 2017 when he tried to get on a ferry at the Port of Dover.
Miss Mayo said: ‘He told officials he was trying to get to Italy via France, where he said he had been since 2014.’
Akakhel then voluntarily agreed to be taken back to Italy, and was sent to Rome in 2017.
‘There was no further contact with him until he was intercepted in the Channel on October 29 this year,’ added Miss Mayo.
The case is being sent to Canterbury Crown Court for sentencing. A date has not yet been fixed.
A record-breaking 1,295 people crossed the Channel in boats in a single day on August 22, the Ministry of Defence previously confirmed.
Military vessels were deployed in April to tackle the issue, a policy which was due to be reviewed in January.
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Aziz Akakhel, 32, was stopped by Border Force officers between France and England in October.
