LONDON — An Afghan man who was injured by a bomb while working as an interpreter for British forces has been ordered to return home after his asylum application was rejected, it was reported Monday.
Mohammed Rafi Hottak, 26, was denied asylum because of discrepancies in his claim, which the UK Border Agency said failed to provide sufficient proof that he had worked with British troops or was threatened by the Taliban.
"When I read this letter I really felt very, very sad, because the Home Office has taken so long to come up with this answer that I could not prove my identity," Hottak told The Times.
He has been waiting more than one year for his application to be processed.
The Times said Hottak worked as an interpreter for the British military in Afghanistan for five years.
In November 2007 he was blown up by a bomb when stationed in Helmand, the strife-torn southern province which has been an epicentre for insurgent activity. A British captain was killed in the blast.
Shortly after the blast, the Ministry of Defence released a statement that an Afghan interpreter suffered serious injury, The Times reported.
The Border Agency said Hottak's application "was carefully considered and comprehensive checks were carried out before a decision was made".
"There were significant inconsistencies in his claim that were not clarified to our satisfaction by the information he provided," a spokeswoman said.
"The decision carries a full right of appeal and if new information came to light we would of course consider it."
Hottak said he plans to appeal against his deportation.
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