Gaza asylum seeker asks to leave Britain but cannot be returned amid war
Mosab Abdulkarim Al-Gassas, known as Abu Wadee, has asked to be removed from Britain, saying he wants to leave after press attention over his past. The Home Office cannot currently return him to Gaza because it says there is no safe means of doing so while the territory remains an active conflict area.
Al-Gassas arrived in Britain by small boat in March 2025 and was jailed two months later for illegal entry, before being released in December and placed in asylum accommodation. Reports say he belonged to a Hamas-affiliated group involved in border clashes in 2018 and posted calls for Jews to be killed; he denies antisemitism and says he supported Hamas under duress. He also disputes claims about his factional ties, saying photographs of him with guns were taken at weddings.
- Al-Gassas is asking to leave Britain.
- The Home Office says it cannot safely return him to Gaza.
- He denies antisemitism and disputes claims about his past.
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Gaza is a Palestinian territory on the Mediterranean coast, governed by Hamas since 2007. Israel and Hamas have fought repeated wars, and the latest conflict has caused widespread destruction and displacement; the fighting and restrictions on movement make travel into and out of Gaza difficult.
Britain’s asylum system considers whether people who arrive there can safely return to their country or territory of origin. The Home Office is responsible for immigration decisions, but removal may not be possible when there is no safe route back. Hamas is designated a terrorist organisation by the UK, and claims about a person’s links to it can be relevant to public debate and immigration decisions.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Home Office has a duty to avoid sending someone to a place where return cannot be carried out safely, especially during active conflict. Following that principle protects basic rights and reflects the practical reality that authorities may have no secure route to Gaza at present.
The case against
The government also has a legitimate responsibility to enforce immigration decisions and consider public safety, particularly given the reported allegations about Al-Gassas’s past, which he disputes. If he says he wants to leave Britain, critics may argue that the Home Office should pursue safe, lawful options for departure and explain clearly why none is currently available.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Palestinian asylum seeker who called for death to Jews and posed with guns begs to be kicked out of Britain – but ‘can’t be sent back to Gaza due to war’”.