A CAMPAIGN to fund a legal fight against the deportation of a Glasgow student has been launched.

Asylum seeker Lord Elias Mensah Apetsi, 43, who studies at Strathclyde University, was detained a month ago after arriving for a routine meeting at the Border and Immigration Agency in the city's Brand Street.

He was taken into custody - first to Dungavel before being transferred to a detention centre in Gatwick - when it emerged that a fresh application for Leave to Remain had not been submitted on time.

The National Union of Students (NUS) say this was "human error" for which Lord was not to blame.

The masters student, who has a three-year-old son and a partner living in Glasgow, was initially told he would be deported to Ghana on March 22 but this did not happen.

There are now fresh fears he could be forced to board a flight to the African country on April 26.

NUS President Vonnie Sandlan is behind the online fundraising page, which is aiming to gather £15,000 to pay for legal representation.

So far £2,760 has been donated.

Ms Sandlan says, on the page: "Lord was scheduled to be removed on Tuesday March 22, and due to the collective power of campaigning, he was not removed on that flight.

"However, in recent days there have been moves to push once more for his removal from the country and time is of the essence.

"We have secured legal representation for Lord but now need to fund that.

"A conservative estimate is that this will cost in the region of £15,000.

"The legal firm is not entitled to apply for legal aid on Lord's behalf and so we need to now raise that money on his behalf.

"All proceeds will directly go to Lord's legal campaign, so please give anything that you can."

Lord - who was elected as the NUS Scotland Asylum Seeker and Refugee Officer while in detention - has lived in the UK for 10 years and in Glasgow for three.

Prominent politicians have called on the Home Office to urgently review his case.

And the NUS staged protests in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

His friend Raj Jeyaray, vice president of diversity at Strathclyde Student Association, has been in close contact with Lord.

He travelled to London to campaign for his release and has urged Strathclyde University students to help fund the legal fight.

He said: "Lord had an appointment with the Ghanaian embassy to confirm his identity, if he is scheduled to be on the same flight as he was scheduled on last month, he will be removed on April 26."

Raj previously told the Evening Times that Lord was being kept in the Gatwick detention centre next to the runway so he could hear the planes.

He said: "It is not good for his state of mind."

The Home Office has declined to comment on the case but a spokeswoman said: "All asylum applications are carefully considered on their individual merits, in line with the UK immigration rules."

Donate by visiting www.gofundme.com/saveLord.