Ghanaian asylum seeker granted right to remain in UK due to COVID-19 trauma

A Ghanaian asylum seeker has won the right to stay in the UK.

Winfred Kwabla Dogbey, 52, argued that COVID-19 trauma makes it unsafe for him to return home.

He contracted COVID-19 in 2020 and developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

His condition is known as "post-COVID-19 syndrome." It is crucial for his recovery.

The review panel found Ghana's mental health care system severely lacking. There are few resources available for treating PTSD there.

They concluded that returning Mr. Dogbey to Ghana would harm his mental health. This finding helped him successfully claim asylum in the UK.

Mr. Dogbey arrived in the UK in April 2013 on a visa. He applied for asylum in June 2016, but his application was denied initially.

He spent years submitting appeals after that denial.

In May 2020, he was hospitalized with severe pneumonia and organ failure due to COVID-19.

The court reviewed a letter from his doctor detailing his diagnoses: post-COVID-19 syndrome, PTSD, and major depressive disorder (MDD).

The judge decided Mr. Dogbey could stay under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. This article protects individuals from inhumane or degrading treatment.