Alleged Hamas supporter jailed for illegal entry
An alleged Hamas supporter who reportedly made antisemitic comments has been jailed for nine months for attempting to enter the UK illegally on a small boat.
Abu Wadee, 33, also known as Mosab Abdulkarim Al-Gassas, pleaded guilty on Monday at Canterbury Crown Court to trying to enter the country on 6 March without leave or valid entry clearance.
He was arrested by immigration enforcement officers after arriving in Kent, having paid smugglers 1,500 euros (£1,300) and was placed in a Manchester hotel.
Judge Sarah Counsell said there is "legitimate public concern about breaches of border control", which are of "significant profit to organised criminals".
Wadee had livestreamed his arrival on an "overcrowded and rigid inflatable boat", the court heard and he was told there was a "risk of death or injury to you and others".
The court heard he had made asylum claims in Greece, Germany and Belgium, had no familial or financial ties to the UK and had stayed between Calais and Dunkirk in France for about seven days before making the crossing.
He livestreamed his dinghy being approached by a Border Force vessel on TikTok, with the court being shown a 20-second clip of the livestream.
Wadee's videos attract up to 2.5 million views, The Mail on Sunday has claimed, and he is alleged to have charted his journey from Gaza on the social media channel.
His arrival in the UK made national headlines after it was reported that Wadee, from Khan Yunis in Gaza, had allegedly posted on social media in support of Hamas and calling for the death of Jews.
He posted a video on his Facebook page last September in which he is filmed calling for Allah to "punish (Jews) completely", it was reported.
In another picture posted on Facebook in March 2021, it is claimed he stared into the camera while smoking a cigarette and brandishing an assault rifle with a telescopic sight.
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Palestinian migrant who made antisemitic posts charged
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