A 27-year-old Indian student from Haryana’s Kurukshetra district has been awarded £22,500 (approximately ₹26.2 lakh) in damages by the United Kingdom’s Home Office, following a legal challenge against his 27-day detention.
The settlement was reached this month in the King’s Bench Division of the High Court of Justice in London. The compensation covers loss of liberty, emotional distress, and missed opportunities.
According to his counsel, Sukhvinder Nara—former senior deputy advocate general for Haryana—the student was legally in the UK on a study visa when immigration enforcement officers raided his workplace, a convenience store, on November 13, 2024.
He was accused of exceeding the 20-hour weekly work limit imposed on international students. His visa was cancelled on the spot, and he was taken into custody the same day. On November 21, he was served a notice under the Immigration and Asylum Act, and removal directions were issued for his deportation to India on November 29. Until then, he remained in an immigration removal centre.
Following the removal notice, a judicial review was filed in the high court, contesting both the cancellation of his visa and the legality of his detention. The review argued that the Home Office had wrongly assessed his working hours and that his detention violated legal standards related to personal liberty.
{{/usCountry}}Following the removal notice, a judicial review was filed in the high court, contesting both the cancellation of his visa and the legality of his detention. The review argued that the Home Office had wrongly assessed his working hours and that his detention violated legal standards related to personal liberty.
{{/usCountry}}The case was officially lodged on November 28, 2024. On December 9, 2024, the Home Office reinstated the student’s visa, and he was released from detention the next day.
During settlement talks, the Home Office initially offered £17,500. However, Nara’s legal team negotiated a higher amount, ultimately securing £22,500 in damages. The Home Office also agreed to cover the student’s legal expenses.