Polish-born former lecturer faces deportation after shoplifting convictions
Former criminology lecturer Pauline Al Said, who is Polish-born, could be deported after the Home Office rejected her human rights claim following shoplifting convictions. She has been told she must appeal by next month if she is to challenge the decision, despite having indefinite leave to remain since 2021.
Al Said was convicted in January of stealing £11,964 in goods, mainly alcohol, during six visits to a Southampton Sainsbury’s between June 2024 and July 2025. She received a 44-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months and was ordered to attend 28 rehabilitation days; a separate 2024 conviction concerned about £1,000 of goods from Waitrose and Marks & Spencer. The Home Office said the public interest in deportation outweighed her right to private and family life.
In short
- Home Office rejected Al Said’s bid to remain in the UK.
- Her convictions involved nearly £13,000 in stolen goods.
- She has until next month to appeal.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The case for deportation is that repeated shoplifting convictions, involving substantial value and conduct over multiple visits, can justify a firm response to protect the public and uphold confidence in immigration rules. On this view, the Home Office may give significant weight to the seriousness and pattern of offending when balancing them against private and family life, even where a person has indefinite leave to remain.
The case against
The case against deportation is that it is an exceptionally severe consequence for criminal offending already addressed through a suspended sentence and rehabilitation requirements. A fair assessment should give close weight to her long-term residence, personal and family ties, and prospects of rehabilitation, and ensure that removal is proportionate to the individual circumstances rather than imposed automatically because convictions occurred.
Explained simply
Indefinite leave to remain lets someone live in the UK without a time limit, but it does not prevent deportation in every circumstance. Under UK law, a foreign national convicted of a crime can face deportation, with decision-makers weighing the public interest against the person’s rights and circumstances.
Pauline Al Said is Polish-born and previously worked as a criminology lecturer. Her convictions relate to thefts from shops in Southampton; the court imposed a suspended prison sentence and rehabilitation requirements.
A human rights claim can be used to challenge a deportation decision, including on grounds relating to private or family life. The case turns on how those rights are balanced against the public interest in deportation.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Criminology lecturer who boasts she is ‘Britain’s poshest thief’ could be deported after stealing Le Creuset cookware, premium steaks, wine, and boutique gin in M&S”.