UK: Iranian immigrant demands to be deported from Manchester

A man who walked into a Manchester police station and demanded to be sent back to Iran as he has "had enough of Manchester" has been revealed as Arash Aria, 25. Aria told the Telegraph that rudeness and violence from fellow residents of the city was what led him to demand deportation.

The unusual incident first came to light in a Twitter post by Greater Manchester Police, who tweeted on 21 September: "Male arrested earlier at our front desk when he demanded to be returned home to Iran as he has had enough of Manchester after 10 years."

They added: "Very angry young man, who has been here illegally last 10 years, strange incident."

After immigration checks revealed Aria was not residing in the UK illegally - and had indefinite leave to remain in the country - he was released.

Speaking to the Telegraph on Wednesday (23 September), he said that he had become fed up with the attitude of some of the locals and his failure to find work. "The people of Manchester have not been welcoming," he told the paper. "It's words, violence, many things. I try to ignore people but I'm fed up now. I don't get the respect I should here. People are not friendly here in Manchester. When they are rude to me, I don't like it."

He added that his Iranian passport had expired and that he was waiting for documents he sent to the Home Office to be returned.

"I want to go back to my city Shiraz, in south-west Iran. My aunt and my family will look after me there because my mother will stay here in England," he said. "I am just waiting for my passport to come through and then I will book my flights and start my life out there."