UN terror suspect has leave to remain in the UK
An Egyptian al-Qaeda suspect and his family have won permission to stay in Hammersmith and the right to claim hundreds of pounds a month in benefits.
Ministers gave Hany Youssef "discretionary leave to remain" at his Hammersmith home, though he is on a UN list of people "belonging to or linked" to the terror group Al-Qaeda.
The decision means he can stay in Britain with his wife and five children until 2011.
According to the Home Office, Hany Youssef can also seek work or claim housing benefit, child tax credits and Jobseekers' Allowance.
Youssef, an Egyptian defence lawyer arrived in Britain in 1994 and applied for asylum.
Egypt subsequently requested he be extradited, and at the time Tony Blair expressed sympathy with the request.
Youssef received damages in 2004 after the High Court ruled he was unlawfully detained.
The Home Office twice apologised for delays dealing with his application.
The Home Office said: "Our aim is to deport people as quickly as possible but the law requires us to first obtain assurances the person being returned will not face certain death."
Conservative MP for Hammersmith and Fulham, Greg Hands, said: "I am shocked that that someone on the UN Al-Qaeda list has been given another three years Leave to Remain in the UK. I was told that he would be deported. Understandably, I am concerned that this man is living in Hammersmith, at our expense, when he should be deported to Egypt."
16 October 2008
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