Rapist former Wisbech mayor Aigars Balsevics loses deportation appeal

Aigars Balsevics, the former mayor of Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, faces removal from the United Kingdom after losing a long-running legal challenge against his deportation. The decision, handed down by an Upper Tribunal judge, concludes a series of conflicting rulings regarding whether the convicted rapist’s removal would infringe upon his human rights.

Balsevics was jailed for six and a half years in 2023 following a trial at Peterborough Crown Court. The conviction stemmed from a 2021 incident in which he raped a woman twice at her home. During the attack, the victim repeatedly pleaded with him to stop, but Balsevics ignored her and prevented her from fleeing the room to continue the assault. The victim eventually escaped after contacting friends who arrived at the property, prompting a police investigation that led to his arrest the following morning.

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The legal battle regarding his status in the country has undergone multiple shifts. After being served with a deportation notice by the Home Office, Balsevics successfully argued at a First-tier tribunal that his removal would be "unduly harsh" due to his family and private life. However, the Home Secretary challenged that decision, arguing that the court had failed to apply the correct legal tests.

Upper Tribunal Judge Susan Kebede overturned the previous finding, determining that the evidence provided by Balsevics "falls short of demonstrating very compelling circumstances outweighing the public interest in deportation." In her written judgment, Judge Kebede highlighted that Balsevics’ children had not resided with him for six years and had not had physical contact with him for three. She further noted that the former politician had a history of abusing his ex-partner, who previously obtained a restraining order against him, and that the children had witnessed such abuse.

The judge concluded that Balsevics' removal to Latvia would not be disproportionate. Regarding the factors raised by his legal representatives, she wrote:

"The factors in the appellant’s favour, namely his relationship with his children and their best interests, his length of residence in and ties to the UK, his prior standing in the community and the benefits he conferred on his community, and his expressions of remorse at his offending and attempts to address his offending behaviour and move forward, are outweighed by the nature and seriousness of his offending, his past treatment of his partner and the adverse effect that that had on his children and the limited evidence of any material rehabilitation or material reduction in the level of risk of causing serious harm."

Balsevics, who arrived in the UK in 2003, had previously held a conviction for robbery in Latvia, for which he received a suspended jail term before moving to Britain. Despite this, he became a town councillor, eventually serving as deputy mayor and then mayor of Wisbech by 2020. His public standing collapsed following the rape conviction, and he was also stripped of his pub license in 2021 for violating pandemic-era regulations.

Local political figures have responded to the ruling with calls for swift action. Steve Barclay, the MP for North East Cambridgeshire, stated that the individual should be deported as soon as he is released from prison.

The Home Office has maintained its position on the removal of foreign nationals who commit crimes. A spokesperson stated: "We will do everything in our power to remove foreign criminals from British soil. More than 70,000 illegal migrants and foreign national offenders have been returned since this government took office, a 41% increase."

What to watch next

• Release schedule: Balsevics is currently serving his prison sentence and is eligible for conditional release in December next year.
• Deportation process: Following the Upper Tribunal's decision, authorities are expected to proceed with the deportation order to Latvia, where Balsevics is a citizen.