Inside one man’s botched deportation: seven flights, two swallowed batteries and a staggering bill for the UK taxpayer

‘The thought of never seeing my child again was too much.’ Photograph: Mike Kemp/Getty Images/Tetra Images RF

A year ago, Omar was living in the UK with his British wife and was determined to be a positive, consistent presence for his 10-year-old son, a British citizen from his first marriage. Omar is devoted to his child and has always been committed to guiding him to adulthood.

But today, Omar, 40, lives in Egypt, separated from his family, thanks to an extraordinarily determined, turbulent and expensive campaign by the Home Office to remove him from the UK. (Omar is not his real name.)