BIG Brother minx Makosi Musambasi says she is "in a happy place” after UK media reports claimed she had been deported to NIGERIA.
The 31-year-old ex-cardiac nurse had flown in from Lagos to London’s Heathrow International Airport using a relative’s passport, it was claimed.
But alert immigration officers recognised the Zimbabwean and sent her back the next day.
Britain’s The Sun newspaper claimed £12,000 was seized from Makosi – who came third in the 2005 Channel 4 Big Brother series.
“The UK Border Agency said the money was being investigated,” the newspaper reported.
Makosi claimed asylum in the UK and was granted after a court battle. She is entitled to a UK travel document which would allow her to travel to any country other than Zimbabwe.
Speaking to New Zimbabwe.com on Thursday, Makosi – said to live with a partner in Lagos – would not discuss specific issues around the matter, but insisted she was happy where she was.
“I'm African, and Africa is the best place for an African to be,” she said. “I’m ok. As good as one can be.”
New Zimbabwe.com blogger and immigration lawyer Taffy Nyawanza said The Sun’s report raised a lot of questions.
“Makosi is a refugee, and in a case where they have identified her and established that she has leave to enter the UK, you would think the UK Border Agency would arrest and prosecute her for document fraud,” Nyawanza said.
“It sounds improper that they would simply send her back to Lagos. It could be that she volunteered to return, but I would say in a large majority of such cases she would have been given leave to enter and then prosecuted, if the claims about her using a relative’s passport are true.”