The senior Tory told Iraqi Esam Amin that his claims to stay in Britain were ‘ridiculous’ and he ‘should leave’ the country.
During the highly-charged confrontation on the BBC, Mr Harper said neither the government nor the courts believed Mr Amin’s claims and the British taxpayer should not support him.
Leave: Tory minister Mark Harper (left) said
Iraqi Esam Amin had no right to stay in Britain after repeatedly losing
claims for asylum in the courts
He came face to face with Mr Asim on BBC1’s Sunday Politics West, making clear that the Iraqi had no right to stay in Britain.
Mr Amin’s claims to asylum have been rejected five times in the last six years.
The minister said it was now time to leave the country.
During a 10 minute row, Mr Harper told him: ‘We are very clear Mr Amin has had the chance to claim asylum, his case has been looked at very carefully by the government, we didn’t find it credible.
‘We have a fair system where he is able to go through a legal process and the judge didn’t find his claim credible, in fact he said parts of his claim were “not credible and ridiculous”.
‘I’m afraid he has no right to be in the United Kingdom and he should leave.’
Mr Amin claimed his life would be in danger if he was sent back to Iraq.
But he admitted he has failed in his bid to claim asylum in Bristol five times since 2008.
Confrontation: The stand-off came on live television, with Mr Harmer making clear that Mr Amin has no right to stay in Britain
‘My life in my country is in danger that’s why I decided, and I left my family and everything, to come here. I claimed asylum, I came to find a safe place.
‘I know my story is true and your system doesn’t believe me.
‘Five times they didn’t believe me which has been going on for nearly six years. I can’t return to my home because my life is in danger there. I am campaigning so I can get my right to a safe place.’
He claimed that he had only £5 to live on after his claim was rejected.
But Mr Harper said the British taxpayer should not have to pick up the tab for someone who has no right to be here.
Tough: Mr Harper was the minister who signed off the controversial 'Go Home' ad vans which toured London this summer
‘We don’t believe you and neither did the judge.’
He went on: ‘Hardworking families will be sat there finding it incredible that someone has had the chance to go through a system, have had a decision, have appealed it to a judge and they have been found not to have the need for our protection.
‘They would think it is incredible that the taxpayer should continue supporting them to stay in this country and they have no right to be here.
‘It doesn’t give everyone in the world the right to come to the United Kingdom we protect people and we are very generous at protecting people genuinely fleeing persecution and I think if people abuse our system it will damage the British public’s tolerance for people genuinely fleeing persecution.’
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