A CAMPAIGN to save a Southampton man from deportation has been boosted after a petition gained thousands of signatures.

Southampton Mencap has said the man, known only as Asan, who suffers from learning difficulties, will be deported on Wednesday back to Romania after he found out on Thursday that he would not be able to stay in the UK.

Consequently, the charity launched a petition to keep him in the UK which has since gained 2,000 signatures in 24 hours.

Bosses at the charity say that Southampton City Council made an application for a form of deportation known as voluntary assisted return on the 25-year-old's behalf because of his learning difficulties which was subsequently granted by the Home Office.

Ellie Iles, activity manager at Southampton Mencap added: "We are still actively trying to buy more time in order to check that the decision is Robust and in Asan's best interests.

Chief officer Alex Illes said: “The decision that has been made is very unfair.

"We as an organisation have not been consulted at all and we don’t believe that Asan’s best interests have been taken into account."

In response, a spokesperson for Southampton City Council added: "We are not able to comment on individual cases.

"In general, where individuals who have no local connection come to the city and without having any recourse to public funds, we carry out a full human rights assessment to determine whether any care and support is needed to maintain their safety and ensure human rights are met.

"The Council will meet the cost of this care and support where it is deemed necessary.

"We work with the Home Office, under the Government’s voluntary returns scheme, and other agencies and countries to support individuals to return home to be reunited with their families wherever appropriate."

A Home Office spokesperson also declined to comment on the case.

The Daily Echo understands that Asan was brought up in an orphanage in Romania and then fell into exploitation due to his learning disability.

He was then trafficked to England in June 2014 to be used in modern slavery before

being rescued by a Birmingham-based charity and put into a safe house.

Asan then moved to Southampton in June 2015 where he has since been helped by the City Council through a halfway housing scheme and the staff at Mencap where he attended their day services and learned life skills including literacy and numeracy.