by Linda Straker
- Pakistani national deported after living in Grenada, married to a Grenadian
- Due diligence on passport application provided information of a national security threat
- Former Attorney General filed a constitutional motion
Solicitor General Dwight Horsford has confirmed that a Pakistani national, for national security reasons was recently deported from Grenada after the court lifted an application which had caused the order to be ceased, on the weekend of 21 April 2018.
Muhammad Ehsan, whose family operates a restaurant with outlets in St George’s and Grand Anse arrived in Grenada about 7 years ago and in a short time married a Grenada woman. They lived in Grand Anse and had no children. He then proceeded to apply for his Grenadian passport because he had gained citizenship by marriage. It is understood that while conducting due diligence on his application, the investigating officers were provided with information that deemed Ehsan a national security threat.
“That application was denied, so he was never provided with a passport, but because he married to the Grenadian, the law provided for him to be granted his citizenship. That citizenship is what was revoked by Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell who is also the Minister for Immigration,” said one official who was close to the matter, and explained that as Minister for Immigration, Mitchell signed the deportation order.
“While at the airport waiting to be deported, his family had contacted his attorney and filed an emergency application seeking the court to stay the deportation, and it was granted. So, for that weekend he remained in Grenada,” the official added.
The matter was heard in court, and the judge lifted the stop order to the deportation. The authorities were now free to executive the deportation order. Horsford said that a deportation order could be challenged in the court, but the law provides for the Minister for Immigration to sign a deportation order to be executed by law enforcement.
Following the judge lifting the order, his lawyer, former Attorney General Rohan Philip said that he had filed a constitutional motion, but a date was not provided for a hearing. The status of the constitutional matter is not known as efforts to reach Phillip have been futile.
