Abu Wadei is a Palestinian who reportedly supports Hamas
A Palestinian migrant who previously called for all Jews to be killed has said he has arrived in Britain on a small boat.
The young man, who goes by the name of Abu Wadei – with various spellings – shared footage from what appeared to be an inflatable dinghy on social media platform TikTok on Friday.
Wearing a keffiyeh, a head covering, he showed dozens of lifejacket-clad asylum seekers with him on the small boat.
The video caption, written in Arabic, translates as: “Thank God, we arrived in Britain after a difficult journey.”
On the same day he posted on a Facebook account: “By the grace of Allah Almighty I reached Britain after a long and difficult journey at sea.”
Yet an investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) revealed the man had attended an event addressed by Yahya Sinwar, the former Hamas leader and mastermind of the October 7 massacre.
He is also said to have told crowds he would die “for the sake of Allah” and appears to have posed with guns on his Facebook page.
Abu Wadei shared footage from what appeared to be an inflatable dinghy – X
The revelation has led to calls for the migrant’s immediate arrest and deportation to Palestine.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, described reports of the man’s illegal entry into Britain as “deeply disturbing” and told The Telegraph he should be immediately deported.
It comes as Coastguard and Home Office workers are likely to be preparing for a seasonal increase in migrants attempting to cross the Channel over the summer months.
A total of 29 small boats carrying 1,664 migrants have already been recorded as attempting illegal crossings in the first seven days of March, according to Government figures.
Abu Wadei, who boasted of more than 172,000 followers on TikTok before his account was taken down on Saturday, describes himself as being a “digital creator” on his Facebook page and being from Gaza City.
Several of those commenting on the TikTok clip that appears to show his crossing, which has received more than 350 likes, expressed relief for his safety.
An image posted by Abu Wadei on social media – Facebook
Yet an investigation by the CAA found the migrant appeared to show support for the Gaza-ruling group Hamas, which has been proscribed as a terror organisation by the UK Government.
In one video – which appeared to date back to around 2018 – the man was seen telling crowds at a rally that his “loftiest aspiration” was to “die for the sake of Allah”, according to a translation by the CAA.
Posting on Facebook on September 18 last year, the man filmed himself praying. A translation by the CAA of the prayer read: “Oh Allah, punish the Jews and those who are in league with them.
“Oh Allah, kill them all ,and do not leave a single one of them.
“Oh Allah, destroy them completely, scatter them completely, and make the earth fall from under their feet.”
He added: “Oh Allah give us strength against the criminal Jews. Give us strength against them, Oh Lord of the worlds.”
Wadei has authored social media posts supporting Hamas – Facebook
Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Philp said: “If these reports are true, they are deeply concerning. The Home Office must investigate.
“Our country is our home, not a hotel. Those entering the UK illegally should not be able to stay here, least of all those suspected of espousing violent anti-Semitism.
“Under Keir Starmer we have become the soft touch of Europe on immigration. He must get a grip and back Conservative proposals to toughen up the borders Bill next week. This man should be immediately returned to Palestine.”
A spokesperson for CAA said: “We consider that this man poses a threat to public security and are asking the Home Office for urgent assurances that he is in secure custody pending further investigation.
“The fact is that he has brazenly posted not only these views, but also his involvement in a Hamas-endorsed unit in Gaza on social media accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are committed to ending small boat crossings which undermine our border security, and restoring order to the asylum system to ensure that the rules are respected and enforced.
“While it is a long-standing rule that we never comment on individual cases or operational matters, the British public can be reassured that we take all steps necessary at all times to protect the nation’s security.”
