Boris Becker won six Grand Slams
former tennis player Boris Baker (see photo gallery below)
One can be deported from the UK after being arrested on fraud charges, according to the country’s Home Office. According to experts, the case could set a legal precedent in the post-Brexit era, which has tightened immigration law for EU citizens.
The former Wimbledon champion was arrested last week after a two-and-a-half-year sentence for hiding £2.5m in assets and debt to avoid paying off debt.
According to the British newspaper The Guardian, a spokesman for the Home Office said that “any foreign national convicted of a crime and sentenced to prison is considered for deportation as soon as possible”.
Officials could argue that Baker’s criminal offenses would continue after Britain implemented a deal to leave the European Union in December 2020.
The former athlete is believed to have not obtained British citizenship and could therefore face deportation under the UK Borders Act 2007, an earlier more liberal version of the UK Immigration and Asylum Act.
According to experts, if the court finds that Baker’s criminal conduct took place after December 31, 2020, he will be subject to automatic deportation. The former athlete could appeal on human rights grounds. However, recent cases of deportees living in Britain for longer periods than Baker highlight the difficulty of being successful.
– If the conduct took place before that date, it benefits from the protection of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement. He will still be considered for deportation, and the Home Office will try to deport him, but he will have a strong legal case to stay on,” immigration attorney Colin Yeo told The Guardian.
Case
Baker was indicted under the UK Insolvency Act in early April on four counts, including nondisclosure, concealment and removal of significant assets following a bankruptcy court case.
The former athlete was cleared of 20 other charges, including nine from Wimbledon for failing to hand over her trophies and medals in tennis.
According to the BBC, the former tennis player, who holds six Grand Slam titles, has denied violating the country’s bankruptcy laws after declaring bankruptcy in 2017.
The six-time Grand Slam champion was found guilty of transferring money to his ex-wife Barbara and his currently estranged wife after she went bankrupt in 2017.
