Foreign sex offenders to be stopped from claiming refugee status

Abdul Ezedi was granted asylum by the British government after being convicted of sexual assault (Picture: PA)

People who commit sex crimes after arriving in the UK will be blocked from claiming asylum under new rules announced by the Home Office.

The change in the law aims to make it easier to kick out sex offenders like Abdul Ezedi, who threw chemicals over a woman and her two children in Clapham last year before his body was found in the Thames.

Ezedi had been convicted of sexual assault and exposure in 2018 but avoided jail and was later granted asylum.

Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips told Metro the move would demonstrate the government’s ‘commitment to make life safer for women and girls is in no doubt’.

Under the current law, countries can refuse asylum to those convicted of terrorism, war crimes or ‘particularly serious crimes’.

The UK defines crimes as ‘particularly serious’ if the offence carries a sentence of 12 months or more – meaning some sex crimes slip through the net.

Speaking exclusively to Metro, Phillips said it is ‘simply shocking’ that foreign registered sex offenders ‘can still be granted asylum and the benefits that come with it in the UK’ if their sentence is less than a year.

She added: ‘This government is taking swift action to right this wrong through our Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill and we will use every tool at our disposal to take predators off our streets.

‘We stand firmly on the side of women and girls and will stop at nothing to rebuild our immigration system, creating one that acts swiftly, fairly and efficiently to keep the public safe.

‘That’s why, through this new measure, we are recognising these criminals must be held to account.’

Jess Phillips said the government stands ‘firmly on the side of women and girls’ (Picture: House of Commons)

The change will mean a foreign national convicted of any crime that qualifies them for the sex offenders register will be denied refugee status.

Further amendments to the bill will mean crooks posing as immigration lawyers and advisors will face fines of up to £15,000 with the Immigration Advice Authority getting more powers to tackle them.

A new target is also being introduced for the first-Tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber to decide appeals brought by those receiving accommodation support, or who are foreign offenders, within 24 weeks.

Meanwhile, the Home Office will also introduce the use of artificial intelligence in the asylum system for uses like summarising interviews.

A department official said the technology would not be making ‘final decisions’.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: ‘Sex offenders who pose a risk to the community should not be allowed to benefit from refugee protections in the UK.

‘We are strengthening the law to ensure these appalling crimes are taken seriously.’

She continued: ‘Nor should asylum seekers be stuck in hotels at the taxpayers’ expense during lengthy legal battles.

‘That is why we are changing the law to help clear the backlog, end the use of asylum hotels and save billions of pounds for the taxpayer.’

Enver Solomon, the chief executive of the Refugee Council, said he welcomes the ‘continued drive to fix a broken asylum system’.

He said: ‘Whilst we also welcome attempts to clear the backlog with accurate first-time decisions, previous efforts to speed up this process have often led to a bigger court backlog due to poor quality initial decisions.

‘The use of AI therefore must be carefully considered before potentially life or death decisions become a testing ground for the technology. The use of AI could backfire if the technology’s limitations lead to flawed asylum decisions that end up in the courts.

‘The Refugee Convention rightly allows governments to exclude those who commit serious crimes from its protections.

‘All crimes should be considered on a case by case basis, including those placed on the sex offenders register, to ensure that public safety is a priority.’

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