UK to deport Latvian-born former mayor convicted of rape

Aigars Balsevics, the former mayor of Wisbech, England, who was born in Latvia, will be deported to Latvia after serving his prison sentence. The decision was made by an immigration court in London.

Balsevics was found guilty in 2023 of two counts of rape of a woman at her home in 2021. He denied the charges. The court sentenced him to six years and six months in prison and ordered him to be placed on the sex offenders register for life. He must serve at least until 2027 before being eligible for parole.

Balsevics arrived in the UK in 2003 or 2004. In 2015, he became a local councilor in Wisbech, where he owned several pubs and an entertainment business. In 2019, he became deputy mayor of the Conservative-controlled council, and a year later, mayor, making him the first Eastern European-born mayor in England.

Court documents show that Balsevics was convicted of theft in Latvia in 2012 and received a suspended sentence. He regularly visited Latvia to meet with probation officers and comply with the terms of his sentence.

At the immigration hearing, it was noted that Balsevics had been violent towards the mother of his children, and the couple separated when the children were very young. He appealed the deportation order, arguing it would be unduly harsh on his two children. However, the court found that the children had not been in direct physical contact with him for three years and had not lived with him for six years. Their mother was caring for them properly. He also claimed deportation would negatively impact his girlfriend of two years, who visits him in prison.

The court rejected these arguments. Judge Susan Kebede stated that factors in Balsevics' favor—his relationship with his children, length of residence in the UK, ties to the country, previous reputation, and remorse—were outweighed by the nature and seriousness of his offense. She concluded that deportation to Latvia would not be disproportionate.