A man reported to be a pro-Hamas gunman from the Gaza Strip, who entered the UK illegally in 2025, has been living in taxpayer-funded asylum housing after completing his jail sentence.
Abu Wadei, who has called for the death of all Jews, was arrested in the UK after arriving in Kent on a migrant boat, The Jerusalem Post reported in March 2025. He was born in Khan Yunis and has pictures and videos on social media showing him posing with AK-47s and throwing pipe bombs. He is believed to have been a member of the Gazan “Tire-Burning Unit.”
Also known as Mosab Abdulkarim Al-Gassas, he pleaded guilty to trying to enter the UK on a small boat without leave or valid entry clearance. He served a nine-month sentence.
Wadei resurfaced in the news this week after the Northamptonshire Telegraph reported he is living in a taxpayer-funded HMO on Corby’s Lloyds estate with three other migrants. He is reportedly wearing an electronic tag.
Home Office wishes to deport Wadei, but is struggling to do so
According to British media outlets, the Home Office wishes to deport him, but it has been struggling to do so due to the government’s asylum policy regarding returning individuals to active conflict zones.
Wadei was recorded telling the Northants Telegraph he no longer supported Hamas.
“That was back when I lived in Gaza under Hamas rule,” he said. “Everyone knows that Hamas is a terrorist organization that would kill us if we didn’t speak against the Jews while living there.”
Wadei said he has since made Jewish friends and loved living in Northamptonshire. He was now in the asylum system and wanted to stay in the UK, he added.
Wadei continues to regularly post videos from Corby town center on TikTok, some of which involve him recruiting young locals to chant, “Free Palestine.” He has about 20,000 followers on the platform.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, told the Telegraph: “This man – and all those entering illegally – should be deported. The system is totally broken and is being exploited by dangerous thugs like this.”The Home Office told the Telegraph it does not comment on individual cases.
The Home Office told the Telegraph that it does not comment on individual cases.
Nevertheless, a government spokesman said: “Any foreign national who receives a prison sentence in the UK is referred for deportation at the earliest opportunity and will be barred from ever returning.
“Over 11,000 foreign criminals, including murderers and rapists, have been returned or deported in the two years since the last election – a 41% increase on the two years prior.”
A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “What is the point of imprisoning someone for being in the country illegally, and then, when he completed his sentence, allowing him to roam free? Our laws have become a laughingstock.
“This is all the more significant in a week when the home secretary has announced that she will make it easier for Gazans to settle in the UK, with no assurances being provided as to whether they may hold antisemitic views or have a history of terrorism. Our country desperately needs to get a grip.”
According to Home Office figures the average cost of dispersal accommodation, including houses and HMOs, is £23.25 per person per night. Wadei is also eligible for asylum-support payments of up to £49.18 per week, according to the reports.