The first of the group of 31 Afghans who claimed asylum after arriving in Britain on a hijacked plane has lost his appeal against deportation.

The 21-year-old former medical student, who has not been named, had told immigration officials he would rather be killed than sent back to Afghanistan.

He arrived at Stansted Airport on February 7 this year following the hijacking of an Ariana Airline Boeing 727 in which he was not involved.

He had been flying home from the Afghanistan capital Kabul on an internal flight which was re-routed to Britain.

After arriving he claimed asylum, telling immigration officials: "I'm not prepared to go back to Afghanistan under any circumstances.

"If the worst comes to the worst you will have to kill me and send my body back to Afghanistan."

He told immigration officials: "I was oppressed by the Taliban but now I am here I have discovered I am entitled to human rights and to be treated as a human being."

His application for asylum was earlier rejected and yesterday an appeal was dismissed.

The man, who was not in court, was the first of 31 asylum-seekers from the plane expected to have their appeals decided at the Immigration Appeals Centre in London over the next few days.

Adjudicator Judge Hubert Dunn said the man had not proved a "well-founded fear of persecution" and his claim was "all but non-existent.''

He said the asylum-seeker had been on his way home when he boarded the plane and was not fleeing persecution.

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