Mother’s Gambia deportation halted by judge after she was rushed to Heathrow at 3am

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Lawyers for Fatou Tamba, who has been living in the UK for 16 years, say she has been left ‘traumatised’ by her treatment over the last four months

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A mother facing political persecution in her native African country was forced to wait at Heathrow airport for 12 hours before a Home Office attempt to deport her to The Gambia was delayed by a judge.

Fatou Tamba has been held at a detention centre for almost four months, despite living with her family in Liverpool for the last 16 years and becoming a much-loved member of the community.