Latest news with #ElisLila
Sunday World
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Sunday World
Albanian drug trafficker pleads not be extradited as son has chance of Premier League career
Elis Lila's son is 'on the cusp' of getting a scholarship from a Premier League club Elis Lila's two sons play for Watford FC and are currently in the Championship. MailOnline has reported that his eldest son is 'on the cusp' of receiving a football scholarship at a Premier League club, however both boys have 'good prospects' of becoming pro footballers. The 40-year-old spent six years involved in a drug smuggling gang in the Italian town of Pesaro, before he fled to Albania in 2012. A soccer ball on the grass in the field by the net News in 90 Seconds - June 25th That year he was sentenced to 11 years behind bars in Italy for drug smuggling and facilitating prostitution, but he didn't serve any of his sentence as he went to Albania before moving to the UK with his wife in 2016. The self-employed tiler, was given leave to remain in the UK for two and a half years. He has spent the last four years fighting deportation to Italy after judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court ordered that he should be extradited as he has five outstanding European Arrest Warrants. Lila challenged the ruling, and at a second extradition hearing in 2024, it was ruled once again that he should be extradited to Italy. He appealed the decision once again, and a hearing was held at the High Court in March. In the judge's ruling, Mr Justice Mould once again said he should be extradited, ruling that his wife would find a way to manage supporting their sons as they continued to play football in the UK. His report states that the family have been living a 'stable life' since moving to the UK. 'He has built a business in the UK which enables him financially to support his family 'He and his wife organise their lives so as to provide the practical day-to-day support needed to enable his eldest children to build on their footballing skills and develop their potential as future professional football players. 'There is a very real risk that, if extradited to Italy, after serving his remaining sentence the appellant will not be permitted to return to live in the UK. 'The eldest sons' prospects as potential professional footballers and the practical problems that would result from the appellant's absence was in evidence before the District Judges and formed part of the overall evaluation of proportionality.' The judge found that his wife, Mrs Lila, would be able to manage getting her children to football training while her husband was in prison in Italy. 'There is likely to be real hardship and the impact on family life will be considerable. 'Nevertheless, I am satisfied that the District Judges were correct to give weight to the proven resilience and resourcefulness of Mrs Lila, and the likelihood that she would be able to cope with the loss of the appellant. 'That was a factor which lessened the severity of the impact of extradition in this case,' he added. The judge said that there would be 'emotional distress' and 'financial hardship' following his extradition. 'I have no doubt that this was exceptionally difficult for the Appellant's wife and children but it demonstrates the strength of character of his wife and her amazing resilience and determination as a person and as a mother. 'For these three years, when she was no doubt at her most vulnerable, his wife built a life in the UK for her and her children, with no financial help from the Appellant and when he was in Albania and therefore, emotional support would be somewhat limited. Read more 'I accept that it will be difficult emotionally for her should he be extradited but the strength of character and resilience she has shown, will no doubt mean that she will cope,' he continued. He added that Mrs Lila will find a way to manage taking the children to football, school, and other activities. 'I have no doubt that the Academy will offer what support they can to the family. 'If she closes the business, then I still find that she will continue to ensure that their son is able to attend the Academy.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Albanian drug trafficker claims he can't be deported out of the UK because it would harm his sons' chances of becoming Premier League footballers
An Albanian drug dealer on the run from Italian authorities claimed extradition from the UK would harm his sons' chances of becoming Premier League footballers would be hampered if he was deported. Elis Lila, 40, has been living in the UK since 2016 having arrived here on the back of a lorry. Before that he lived in the Italian town of Pesaro, near Rimini, where he spent six years involved in a drug smuggling gang. He was convicted by the Italian courts in 2012 and sentenced to 11 years for drug trafficking and facilitating prostitution Albanian drug dealer says being deported would harm sons' chances of Premier League success but returned to Albania before following his wife to Britain without serving any of his sentence. Lila was given leave to remain in the UK for two-and-half years. He works as a self-employed tiler and has three children, with two of his sons on the books of Watford FC, currently in the Championship. The eldest son is said to be 'on the cusp' of receiving a football scholarship at a Premier League club, although both children have good prospects of becoming professional footballers, a court heard. Lila has spent the past four years fighting his deportation to Italy and tried to use Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) that protects his right to a family life. In 2021 a district judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court ordered that Lila should be extradited to Italy under five European Arrest Warrants. Lila challenged the ruling and a second extradition hearing was heard in 2024 where a another district judge again ordered he be deported to Italy. He was granted right to appeal the decision and a hearing in the High Court took place in March. Mr Justice Mould's report following the appeal states that Lila has been living a stable life with his family since his arrival in the UK in 2016. His report states: 'He was a young man in his early twenties when he committed those offences. He is now a married man of 40 years of age, supporting a close family with three children. 'He has been living a stable life with his family since his arrival in the UK. He has built a business in the UK which enables him financially to support his family 'He and his wife organise their lives so as to provide the practical day-to-day support needed to enable his eldest children to build on their footballing skills and develop their potential as future professional football players. 'There is a very real risk that, if extradited to Italy, after serving his remaining sentence the appellant will not be permitted to return to live in the UK. 'The eldest sons' prospects as potential professional footballers and the practical problems that would result from the appellant's absence was in evidence before the District Judges and formed part of the overall evaluation of proportionality. ' But in dismissing his appeal and upholding the extradition orders, Mr Justice Mould pointed out that Lila was fully aware of the extradition proceedings against him before he started a family life and moved to the UK. He states: 'I am satisfied that the appellant was under no illusion when he came to the UK in 2016 that he faced the real risk of proceedings seeking his return to Italy to serve his outstanding prison sentences. 'He has built his life in the UK since then in that knowledge.' Mr Justice Mould also found that Mrs Lila would be able to cope in getting her children to football traiing while her husband was in prison in Italy. He states: 'There is likely to be real hardship and the impact on family life will be considerable. 'Nevertheless, I am satisfied that the District Judges were correct to give weight to the proven resilience and resourcefulness of Mrs Lila, and the likelihood that she would be able to cope with the loss of the appellant. 'That was a factor which lessened the severity of the impact of extradition in this case.' The court heard Lila had a difficult childhood. He met his wife in Italy in June 2006. Their first child was born on 20 September 2009 in Italy. They lived in Bologna at that time, where Lila worked as a tiler. On 21 September 2011, he was excluded from Italy as a result of his convictions and returned to live in Albania. On 24 October 2011 he married his wife in Albania. His wife returned to Italy, but Lila remained in Albania as he was unable to return to Italy. In January 2012 he was granted a temporary visa to return to Italy so he could attend for his trial. He attended that trial. He then returned to Albania as his visa was only temporary. His wife remained in Italy and would visit him in Albania. In 2013 he found out his wife had moved to the UK. She had been trafficked in Italy and came to the UK to escape. His wife claimed asylum in the UK which was granted. Lila remained in Albania, but came to the UK in 2016 where he applied for immigration status in the UK as a spouse. He was granted leave to remain for two and a half years, subject to extension. The judge said there would be 'emotional distress' to Lila and his family should he now be extradited and some 'resulting financial hardship'. The court heard their eldest son is a talented young football player who clearly has a good future, with this being a potential career for him and Lila organised his work based on his wife's work so that he could collect the children from school and take them to football. A District judge at a previous hearing said however 'this is a family who would cope'. The judge said Lila's wife came to the UK with her two children, when she was extremely vulnerable, and despite the obvious difficulties, given the trauma that she experienced in Italy, she was able to settle in the UK, with her children and bring them up. The judge said: 'I have no doubt that this was exceptionally difficult for the Appellant's wife and children but it demonstrates the strength of character of his wife and her amazing resilience and determination as a person and as a mother. 'For these three years, when she was no doubt at her most vulnerable, his wife built a life in the UK for her and her children, with no financial help from the Appellant and when he was in Albania and therefore, emotional support would be somewhat limited. 'I accept that it will be difficult emotionally for her should he be extradited but the strength of character and resilience she has shown, will no doubt mean that she will cope.' The judge added: 'Sadly, emotional distress is not unusual in extradition cases.' In relation to taking the children to football, in particular the son, and school and other activities, the judge said the wife will 'find a way to make this work'. The judge said: 'I have no doubt that the Academy will offer what support they can to the family. If she closes the business, then I still find that she will continue to ensure that their son is able to attend the Academy'.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Albanian gangster claimed deportation would ruin sons' football prospects
An Albanian criminal wanted in Italy for drug trafficking claimed he should not be deported because it would jeopardise his sons' chances of becoming professional footballers. Elis Lila, who entered the UK illegally in 2016, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for his role in a drug-smuggling gang in Italy after he had fled the country to Albania and then to Britain with his wife and family. The 40-year-old fought an extradition request by Italy on the basis that it would be a breach of his right to a family life under article eight of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). In his appeal against his removal, he revealed that his two sons were on the books of a football club, with both having 'good prospects' of becoming professional footballers. His eldest was said to be 'on the cusp' of receiving a scholarship from a Premier League club. Lila's lawyers argued that, without their father's day-to-day support, they would not be likely to fulfil their potential as professional footballers. However, despite appealing to the High Court, his arguments were rejected on the basis that he knew he was wanted for drug-smuggling when he left Italy and was aware of the risks that he could be extradited. He now faces being removed and taken back to Italy to serve his outstanding prison sentence. Blocking deportations The case, disclosed in court papers, is the latest example uncovered by The Telegraph in which illegal migrants or convicted foreign criminals have used human rights laws to try to halt their deportations. Ministers are proposing to raise the threshold to make it harder for judges to grant the right to remain based on article eight of the ECHR, which protects the right to a family life, and article three, which protects against torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Lila arrived in the UK on the back of a lorry, having spent six years in Italy in a drug-smuggling gang. After returning to Albania, he followed his wife to Britain, where he was given leave to remain for two and half years. A father of three, he works as a self-employed tiler. In 2021 a district judge at Westminster magistrates' court ordered that Lila should be extradited to Italy under five European arrest warrants. Lila challenged the ruling, but a second judge rejected his appeal. He was granted the right to appeal against the decision in the High Court in March, which was heard by Mr Justice Mould, who noted that he had been living a 'stable life' with his family and built a business to support them. 'He and his wife organise their lives so as to provide the practical day-to-day support needed to enable his eldest children to build on their footballing skills and develop their potential as future professional football players,' he said. 'There is a very real risk that, if extradited to Italy, after serving his remaining sentence the appellant will not be permitted to return to live in the UK. 'The eldest sons' prospects as potential professional footballers and the practical problems that would result from the appellant's absence was in evidence before the district judges and formed part of the overall evaluation of proportionality. 'But in dismissing his appeal and upholding the extradition orders, Mr Justice Mould pointed out that Lila was fully aware of the extradition proceedings against him before he started a family life and moved to the UK. He states: 'I am satisfied that the appellant was under no illusion when he came to the UK in 2016 that he faced the real risk of proceedings seeking his return to Italy to serve his outstanding prison sentences. He has built his life in the UK since then in that knowledge.' Mr Justice Mould also found that Mrs Lila would be able to cope in getting her children to football training while her husband was in prison in Italy. He states: 'There is likely to be real hardship and the impact on family life will be considerable. 'Nevertheless, I am satisfied that the district judges were correct to give weight to the proven resilience and resourcefulness of Mrs Lila, and the likelihood that she would be able to cope with the loss of the appellant. That was a factor which lessened the severity of the impact of extradition in this case.'
