He came to the UK illegally in 2016 and died in the River Thames while on the run after attacking a 31-year-old mother and her two daughters with a corrosive substance in Clapham on Jan 31.
Ezedi was granted asylum by the immigration tribunal judge on his third appeal in November 2020 after he claimed he had converted to Christianity and would be persecuted if he returned to Afghanistan.
Tim Loughton, a member of the home affairs select committee, called for a full investigation. “The details of this shocking case go to underline the suspicions we have had all along that migrants are playing the Christianity card to game the system in too many cases,” he said.
“But there is a worrying disconnect here between the Home Office who look at these cases rigorously and decide there is not a credible claim, then on the same evidence tribunals seem to think they know better and overrule the detailed work that the Home Office has already done.
“Clearly the system is not working properly. We need to have a full investigation into why it is that in too many cases, tribunals think they know better and are overruling the experts in the immigration service.”
Church accused over ‘conveyor belt’ of baptisms
The comments come after the Church of England faced accusations from a priest that it had become complicit in a “conveyor belt” of asylum seeker baptisms used by migrants to remain in the UK.
Rev Matthew Firth, who was priest in charge at a parish in the North of England, told The Telegraph earlier this year that he had discovered around 20 cases where failed asylum seekers sought baptisms at his church to support their appeals for leave to remain.
The Church of England had previously said that “it is the role of the Home Office, and not the Church, to vet asylum seekers”.
The files show that Ezedi persistently lied about his background, including about whether he had worked in the UK before. A judge who rejected his asylum appeal in February 2017 ruled that he had fabricated accounts of his background that created a “wholly unreliable and inconsistent” picture that was “lacking credibility”.
He gave differing accounts of how his brother died, changed his story about whether he was a Sunni or Shia Muslim and claimed he had never worked in the UK when he had had a job as a car mechanic, according to the documents. He also claimed that he had depression and suicidal thoughts, and that he had been shot by the Taliban.
The Home Office also told the tribunal that Ezedi had been unable to explain the reasons for his conversion, or demonstrate a clear understanding of Christian principles and beliefs during an interview.
Despite concerns about his honesty, Judge William O’Hanlon believed his conversion was “genuine” and allowed Ezedi’s appeal on asylum and human rights grounds, overturning the Home Office’s rejection of his claim.
Judge O’Hanlon conceded that while Ezedi had been discredited on multiple occasions, he decided to allow the appeal on the strength of the “most compelling evidence” from Rev Roy Merrin, a Baptist minister.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
