Suspected ISIS member fights UK deportation citing severe anxiety
A man identified as a former ISIS operative who arrived in Britain via a small boat is contesting his removal to Germany, arguing that his mental health condition makes deportation inhumane.
Layth Ibrahim Mohammed, a 39-year-old suspected former ISIS combatant, arrived in Britain on a small Channel boat in August 2025 and was placed in a Home Office-funded hotel in Oldham, Greater Manchester. German prosecutors allege he constructed improvised explosive devices and instructed the offspring of ISIS militants, and they also accuse him of rape. The National Crime Agency detained him at the hotel, and he now faces extradition to Germany.
His counsel, Joanna Curtis, argues that deporting him would be cruel because he experiences severe anxiety, depression and a persistent “pins and needles” sensation linked to a bomb attack that killed his son in Iraq. Judges are set to rule on the extradition request on November 3, raising questions about how a suspected terrorist entered the UK undetected. The case coincides with parliamentary debate over declining Channel crossings and calls for stricter border controls.
Why it matters
The case highlights challenges in UK asylum and security procedures while raising concerns about mental-health considerations in deportations.
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