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Tory Minister's illegal immigrant cleaner deported back to Colombia

 

Duncan Geddes
Friday 01 August 2014 06:18 BST
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The cleaner working for Tory Minister Mark Harper has now been deported
The cleaner working for Tory Minister Mark Harper has now been deported (PA)

Isabella Acevedo, the cleaner who worked illegally for Tory Minister Mark Harper, has been deported to Colombia.

Border Force officers took Ms Acevedo from her room at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre in the early hours of Thursday morning, according to immigration campaigner Trenton Oldfield.

The 47-year-old was told she would be deported at some point between yesterday and 15 August, but had no precise warning of when she would be removed.

Gerard Hall, Ms Acevedo’s lawyer, told The Guardian: "On all other occasions we've been provided with notification of a date, time and flight details – all that would be required to for us to obtain an injunction if necessary.

"My personal view is that that was done to frustrate efforts to assist her."

Acevedo, 47, was arrested at her daughter’s wedding two weeks ago and was originally due to be deported last Thursday.

But Home Office officials cancelled the operation due to “potential disruption by third parties”.

The Colombian national worked for Mr Harper, then immigration minister, for seven years.

Mr Harper resigned his post in February when he discovered that Ms Acevedo had been working illegally, but returned to government as Minister for Disabled People a fortnight ago.

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