Criminals cover themselves in religious tattoos in attempt to escape deportation as ‘perception of being Christian’ could result in ‘torture’ in home country

Convicts have covered themselves with religious tattoos and claimed they cannot be deported as they have converted to Christianity.

Many have successfully argued that if they were to return to their home countries, their conversion would result in “torture”.

In one instance, an Iranian paedophile who has been described as a “danger to the community” claimed that he could not be kicked out because he had been tattooed with a cross.

The criminal, known as MM, was baptised just 11 days before he filed his latest appeal to stay in the UK.

Last year, an immigration judge rebuked his claim, stating that by failing to address the “wretchedness”, it was evident that he was a criminal.

However, a more senior judge later said that the ruling was a “wholly inappropriate analysis” of the paedophile’s “relationship with God”.

In another case, a Bangladeshi man who murdered his wife was able to avoid deportation by saying that due to his conversion to Christianity, he would be at risk in his primarily Muslim country.

This pair of criminals make up just two of 300 migrants who have lodged appeals against deportation based on their conversion to Christianity.

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While many fail to convince judges that their conversion is genuine, their appeals significantly delay their deportation, according to findings by The Times.

Since the beginning of 2023, 28 cases have been heard at the Upper Tribunal where the claimant cites conversion to Christianity as a reason against their deportation.

Of those, seven appeals were approved, 13 were dismissed and the judge ordered a new hearing in eight cases.

One migrant admitted that he mistakenly attended a synagogue for more than a month, believing it to be a church.

One tribunal judge doubted that a claimant was “attracted to Christianity because it fulfilled a deep spiritual need”, as they had said that “being a Christian is freedom and you can drink alcohol and be with girls”.

The findings come after the revelation that Abdul Ezedi, who is suspected of attacking a 31-year-old mother and her two children with a “corrosive alkaline substance”, was granted asylum in the UK after claiming he had converted to Christianity.

Elsewhere, as many as 40 asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge are said to be converting to Christianity.

Of the 300 migrants on the Bibby Stockholm barge, nearly one in seven are attending churches under supervision from local faith leaders, a church elder told the BBC.