A TAIWANESE asylum seeker who has lived in Newport for 18 months has been told she will be removed from the UK on Monday.

Emily Yeh, 33, fled Taiwan in July last year when she left her post in the national military intelligence service.

Now the story has attracted considerable coverage in the Taiwanese media and the Taiwanese Government wants to prosecute her.

Yesterday she was served with removal directions, which must be issued by the Home Office at least 72 hours before they are enacted. Ms Yeh, who has volunteered for the Welsh Refugee Council and Oxfam, has been held at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre in Bedfordshire since last Monday.

She was first detained by Gwent Police, on behalf of the UK Border Agency, on December 10 at her Home Office accommodation on Chepstow Road. She said she was taken to a room and given the removal directions – but had refused to sign them.

Ms Yeh said she did not know what the repercussions of not signing these papers would be.

She said: “I was a bit frightened. It is over the media again in Taiwan. Obviously they have read [the South Wales Argus] article.”

Taiwanese media has reported she faces up to five years in jail when she returns. She had claimed she faced a possible death penalty if sent back home.

Reflecting on the possible sentence, she said: “It will be hard to see the sun again.”

She added: “I have no regrets coming to Wales. I have met the most amazing people. They are still backing me up and that is great.”

Her current representative, Hilary Brown, of Virgo Consultancy Services Limited in Barry, said Ms Yeh had been failed by past solicitors who had “mishandled” what was “potentially a high profile case”.

When Ms Yeh’s attempt to go to the Court of Appeal was refused, her representatives “never made any further attempts to tell her or continue to protect her rights,” she said.

She said: “They hadn’t done what they’re supposed to have done. So we’re in a difficult position now.”

Representations will be sent to the Court of Appeal to try and prevent Ms Yeh’s removal which could be heard and passed as late as Monday afternoon. Her flight to Taiwan is set to depart on Monday night.