London-born EastEnders actor, 33, makes new plea against deportation

‘Does no one in the Home Office have a heart?’ London-born EastEnders actor, 33, makes new plea against deportation to mother’s homeland of Jamaica – where he’s been just TWICE – over conviction when he was 19

  • Ace Ruele Aristotles, 33, was born in London to a Jamaican mother
  • The father-of-three had indefinite leave to remain until he was jailed in 2008
  • He spent three years in jail after he fell in with the ‘wrong crowd’ as a teenager
  • Since his conviction Mr Aristotles has appeared in major film and TV shows
  • The Home Office has since threatened to deport him to Jamaica  

A British Eastenders actor has issued a new plea to the Home Office to let him stay in the UK as he still faces deportation to Jamaica despite only visiting the country twice as a child.

Father-of-three Ace Ruele Aristotles, 33, was born in London but his Jamaican mother did not have British citizenship and his leave to remain was withdrawn after he served a three-year prison sentence aged 19.

The screenstar, who has appeared in The Legend of Tarzan and New Blood, now has to pay £2,389 every 30 months to stay in the country where he was born and where he lives with his three children. 

He told MyLondon: ‘You just sometimes think to yourself, “is there nobody in the Home Office with a heart?”‘ 

Father-of-three Ace Ruele Aristotles (pictured), 33, was born in London but his Jamaican mother did not have British citizenship

Despite the uncertainty, Mr Aristotles (pictured) has appeared in several films and TV shows as well as mentoring young people at high risk of offending and working with police on outreach initiatives

He added: ‘I’ve been working, I’ve had a family, I was born and grown here, I’ve worked with the Met Police, the London Mayor’s office, helping tackle youth violence… so why are you troubling me? I never understood why.’

Mr Aristotles was given indefinite leave to remain in the UK but after he was convicted of offences including robbery in 2008 and spent three years in jail, he was sent to an immigration centre for five months. 

While there he successfully challenged deportation. But five years ago his status was changed to limited leave to remain, the Independent reported earlier this month.

He told the newspaper: ‘I feel like I am being punished twice for a mistake I made years ago.

‘I take responsibility for my actions but, at the end of the day, I’ve served my time, have never reoffended and I’m not a threat to society.’ 

A judge ruled in Mr Aristotles’ favour when he went to court about the decision to downgrade his status.

But after an appeal from the government another judge overturned the decision and claimed he had a ‘financial incentive’ to reoffend and hadn’t demonstrated family ties.

Mr Aristotles said he had been out of prison for four-and-a-half years when his indefinite leave to remain was revoked.  

He was given indefinite leave to remain in the UK but after he was convicted of offences including robbery in 2008 and spent three years in jail, he was sent to an immigration centre for five months. Pictured, Mr Aristotles with his three children

After an appeal from the government another judge overturned the decision and claimed he had a ‘financial incentive’ to reoffend and hadn’t demonstrated family ties

Despite the uncertainty, Mr Aristotles has appeared in several films and TV shows as well as mentoring young people at high risk of offending and working with police on outreach initiatives.

A few years ago he was sent a letter from the Home Office threatening him with deportation, he said.

Mr Aristotles is now without a nationality, because he does not hold Jamaican citizenship either.

It means he cannot travel for work and has lost out on opportunities – including in Canada, Spain and Italy – and he does not have access to benefits. 

Mr Aristotles wrote a letter to the Home Office blaming institutional racism for his treatment. When an Upper Tribunal judge ruled his status should be downgraded the court said his mention of racism ‘undermined any suggestions at the appellant had come to terms with his offending’.

And a previous court’s rejection of the decision to downgrade his status was not taken into consideration by the Upper Tribunal.  

A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘Mr Kentake’s Indefinite Leave to Remain was revoked as a result of criminality.

‘He was subsequently granted Limited Leave to Remain which enables him to stay and work in the UK.’ 

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