Paisley student nurse deportation threat scandalous, says Nicola Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon has said she will fight to allow a student nurse facing deportation to stay in Scotland.

Denzel Darku, 23, moved to the UK from Ghana aged 14 and has served in the Scottish Youth Parliament and carried the Commonwealth Games baton ahead of the Glasgow 2014 games.

He is fighting to stay in Scotland having had two appeals against deportation rejected.

Raising his case at First Minister's Questions, Labour's Neil Bibby said: “This is a young man who has built his life in Paisley, once a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, a Commonwealth Games baton bearer and a student nurse who wants to work in our NHS.

“But who is also the victim of bogus migration targets and the hostile environment policy of the Home Office.

“He is someone who has contributed a huge amount to this country and who wants to stay in Scotland and the UK so he can contribute even more.''

Mr Bibby added: “Does the First Minister agree with me there can be no justification for driving a young man like Denzel away from the place he calls home?''

Ms Sturgeon said: “I've met Denzel in the past. He is a fine young man. He is an absolute credit to Scotland and it is outrageous, scandalous, a disgrace that he is threatened with deportation.

“We should be trying to attract more young people of his calibre to Scotland, not chasing them away.''

She added: “The immigration policies of the Tories, I think, are disgraceful.

“I will do everything I can to make the case for Denzel Darku, to argue that case, as I'm sure Neil Bibby as the MSP who has taken up the case will do.

“But I think what we need is more than action in one case, what we need is a change to immigration policy, a more humane policy and one that recognises the needs of our country.'