A GLASGOW student is no longer facing imminent deportation after a Home Office U-turn.

Lord Elias Mensah Apetsi had been facing deportation to Ghana after his Leave to Remain application was submitted late.

But NUS Scotland today revealed the Home Office had withdrawn their decision to revoke his deportation order, and to allow his human rights claim.

Students and politicians led a campaign calling on the government to halt his deportation.

The award-winning Strathclyde University student has lived in the UK for 10 years and in Glasgow since 2014 with his three-year-old son.

The Home Office decision means Lord can now present them with "the large amounts evidence his solicitors have been gathering in his defence, in order that they can reconsider his claim," NUS Scotland said.

Vonnie Sandlan, President of NUS Scotland, said: “This decision will come as a relief to all those who’ve been campaigning to stop Lord’s deportation.

"But it’s by no means the end of the long battle to save Lord. The Home Office withdrawing their decision to not even consider revoking Lord’s imminent deportation order means Lord now has an opportunity now to continue his fight against deportation, with a real possibility that could be done from within the UK. However, the huge financial and legal barriers mean we’re still a long way from that."

He said the latest news a "positive step" in the campaign and Lord's chance to return to his family, friends and studies.

He added: "Lord’s detention was through no fault of his own, but instead due to his case not being considered in full by the Home Office.

"Since then, his physical and mental health has taken a really big hit, and he’s been let down in many ways by a system that treats people in his circumstances as nothing more than an arbitrary target to be hit.

“Thanks to generous support of those who have rallied to his defence so far, we’ve managed to raise thousands of pounds to take up Lord’s case, and ensure he has funding for his legal costs. But we still have more to do, and we’ll be continuing to fundraise to ensure that Lord has the support to pay the extortionate fees attached to his campaign. We’ve already had some really important moments in the campaign to save Lord, not least stopping his deportation at the last minute, last month. Now our focus is on ensuring that his detention is overturned, and seeing him brought back to his home, his family and his studies in Glasgow, where he belongs.”

So far, the campaign has raised over £4,000 to support Lord with his legal

A Home Office spokesman said: “All applications are carefully considered on their individual merits, in line with the UK immigration rules. We do not comment on individual cases."

costs.