Palestinian ex-militant in UK asylum seeks deportation but Home Office lacks safe route

Mosab Abdulkarim Al-Gassas, also called Abu Wadee, arrived in Britain on a small vessel in March 2025 and was identified as a former member of the Hamas-affiliated "Tyre-Burning Unit" that participated in the 2018 Great March of Return protests. After being convicted for illegal entry, he was released into asylum accommodation and later moved to a new location in Corby, where he posted videos in Arabic asking the Red Cross and human-rights organisations to secure his deportation.

He now asserts that his earlier support for Hamas was forced and denies antisemitic intent, claiming he works in construction in Gaza. The Home Office, however, says that because Gaza remains an active conflict zone, it lacks a safe means to return him. The case has drawn criticism from the Campaign Against Antisemitism and prompted Corby MP Lee Barron to write to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood demanding removal, underscoring tensions over asylum policy and national security.