Public outrage has followed the decision to let an illegal immigrant remain in the UK due to his ownership of a cat.

The Bolivian man was deemed to have the right to remain in Britain because sending him home would be a breach of his civil rights which stipulate that he is entitled to remain in the UK owing to a settled private home life, citing his cat and girlfriend as evidence. The ruling was made by The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) officer Judge James Devittie and left officials representing the Home Secretary flabbergasted. Lawyers from The Home Office appealed the decision but were again denied.

Neither the identity of the Bolivian man nor the cat was revealed apparently to protect the identities of both.

The case has been labelled a farce in the media, particularly given the expense to the taxpayers is estimated in the thousands of pounds and more so after a senior immigration officer, Judge Judith Gleeson, made comments in the official ruling that the feline could rest easy in the knowledge that its diet would not have to be changed to Bolivian mice.

Solicitors representing the Bolivian man had informed the court that the purchase of the pet by him and his girlfriend was one example of several that proved beyond doubt that he was in a committed relationship. To support their application for residency and again in the appeal the cat was used as evidence that they were committed to a genuine relationship together in the UK.

The shadow immigration minister Damian Green labelled the law and ass saying the episode was laughable.

In the past week several foreign nationals have been ordered home despite having wives, husbands and children in the UK. The same court has also allowed criminals and murderers to remain in the country citing human rights concerns.

The case comes a week after The Sunday Telegraph disclosed how the same court had given permission for more than 50 foreign criminals, including killers and sex offenders, to avoid deportation because of human rights concerns.

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