UI2023002425

             This is the appeal of Mohamed Boutiche, a citizen of Algeria, against the First-tier Tribunal's decision (of 16 March 2023) dismissing his appeal, itself brought against the refusal of leave to remain (of 12 October 2022) based on an application (of 29 October 2021) predicated on having established private life via long residence in the UK.

             The application was based on the Appellant's asserted long unlawful residence from 10 June 2001. It was refused because the Respondent did not accept that the Appellant had demonstrated 20 years of UK residence; he had previously made an application asserting that he had entered the UK on 17 November 1996, but now said he had been here since 2001, a matter of which he was thought to have provided no satisfactory proof. The Respondent stated

"You have provided no documentary evidence that proves that you entered the UK on 10 June 2001. Furthermore, you previously indicated in an application made for Long Residency ... that you entered the UK on 17 November 1996. Similarly, you were unable to provide any proof of this. Therefore, it is not accepted you have lived continuously in the UK for at least 20 years."

             In his witness statement for the present appeal the Appellant argued that he had arrived here in late spring or early summer 2001, entering the country illegally using a French passport; he could only remember the first name therein, as being Eric. The Respondent's review that preceded the appeal hearing states that "Whilst the documents themselves may have been genuine, R submits that there is no evidence to verify that these documents were issued" to the Appellant.

             The First-tier Tribunal dismissed the appeal, concluding