Exclusive: An international expert on the Middle East has officially complained to the Home Office after his casual remarks were misconstrued and used to deport a Kuwaiti man who has been living in Glasgow for the past two years.

An international expert on the Middle East has officially complained to the Home Office after his casual remarks were misconstrued and used to deport a Kuwaiti man who has been living in Glasgow for the past two years.

Dr Alan George, senior associate member of Saint Antony's College at Oxford University, was asked to inspect the identification card of Khalid al Dafairy, who was claiming asylum on the grounds he has been persecuted as a bidun, one of a "stateless" group in Kuwait.

While looking at the card at the Home Office, he mentioned that it might be fake, but that he would need to do further research.

Later that day he discovered the Kuwaiti cards had recently changed in design. His official report concludes that the document is likely to be genuine.

However, on the back of Mr George's comments, Mr al Dafairy, 28, is due to be deported later today.

"I am outraged that the Home Office should have acted in such a gross fashion reminiscent of the authoritarian governments of the Middle East which I am very familiar with," said Mr George.

"My position was grossly misrepresented and that gross misrepresentation was then used for what seemed to me to be unlawful detention of this individual."

Kuwait has been criticised for its treatment of the bidun - which in Arabic means "without nationality".

Most of the bidun people are not allowed to work, obtain a driving licence or travel as they lack any travel documents.

Euan Mackay, Mr al-Dafairy's solicitor in Glasgow, said: "We hope to lodge a petition for Judicial Review of the decision to remove him from the United Kingdom, based upon the report of Dr George and the conclusion that the card is likely to be genuine."

A UK Border Agency spokeswoman said: "We only return those whom the asylum decision-making and independent appeals processes have found do not need international protection and who can there-fore return safely.

"We consider it reasonable to expect an individual who has been found not to need protection to return to their home country.

"If they do not depart voluntarily we may enforce their return.

"We do not comment on individual cases."