A 38-year-old woman, Fatou Gaye, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after admitting she lied about her nationality while seeking asylum in the United Kingdom.

Gaye was convicted at Luton Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of obtaining permission to remain in the country through deception. Prosecutors told the court she falsely claimed to be from the Ivory Coast despite originally arriving in the UK from Senegal.

According to court proceedings, Gaye entered Britain in 2004 on a visitor visa before later applying for asylum under the claim that she was an Ivorian refugee. Authorities said the false identity enabled her to remain in the country while pursuing a series of asylum claims, legal appeals and judicial reviews over several years.

During the process, Gaye reportedly lived in Glasgow with her young son, Arouna Gaye, as she fought attempts to deport her.

The case drew significant public and political attention at the time, with Scottish politicians including John Mason and Christina McKelvie publicly supporting her campaign after believing she was a refugee from the Ivory Coast.

The court further heard that more than £100,000 in public funds was spent on accommodation, welfare support and legal assistance linked to her asylum claims and appeals.

Authorities eventually uncovered inconsistencies in her story after she was deported to the Ivory Coast in 2009. Officials reportedly became suspicious when she struggled to speak local languages and could not answer basic questions about the country.

She was subsequently returned to the UK, where further investigations led to criminal charges.

Delivering judgment, Judge Richard Foster said Gaye had “dishonestly and cynically abused” the asylum system over four years.

Reacting to the ruling, UK Border Agency regional director Phil Taylor said the case demonstrated the government’s determination to pursue legal action against individuals found guilty of abusing immigration procedures.

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