Failed asylum seeker blocked from deporting himself twice | UK | News
Olabode Shoniregun banned from deporting himself for second time (Image: Great Britain News)
A failed asylum seeker claims he has been banned from “self-deporting” from the UK for the second time.
Olabode Shoniregun, a 28-year-old American, tried to board a flight from Heathrow to Las Vegas on May 7 but was prevented from boarding by border officials.
This follows the decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in December declaring Mr. Shoniregun.from Las Vegas, NevadaAlthough authorities reportedly tried to remove the US citizen “as quickly as possible”, he was “unfit to fly” on his first attempt.
But five months later Mr Shoniregun, who is understood to have complex medical problems, said he was still not allowed to leave the UK. He wrote of
GB News reported that Mr Shoniregun told the channel that he first sought asylum in Britain in October 2024 after claiming he was “persecuted for being a black Jew who is a member of the Mormon church”.
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Olabode Shoniregun tried to leave England twice but was rejected (Image: Instagram)
He told the broadcaster: “I believe that discrimination and social hostility still exist in many societies, including the United States. And I think the UK authorities have decided that my circumstances do not qualify under asylum law.”
The failed defector also explained his reasons for identifying as a black Jewish Mormon.
He said: “I consider myself Jewish because I’m still waiting for the coming of the Messiah and all that. And to me, there’s no formal, organized religious community that I can block other than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is closely related.”
The university graduate had previously claimed that some police forces in the US prevented her from finding employment and that she was sexually assaulted by several police officers.
He told GB News he was living in a Holiday Inn near London Heathrow while awaiting deportation, receiving three meals a day and access to a GP at the hotel.
Olabode Shoniregun prevented from boarding flight from Heathrow airport to return to Las Vegas (Image: Instagram)
Mr Shoniregun’s mother is understood to live in a $500,000 (£430,000) property in a gated community. In its 22-page letter rejecting his asylum claim, the United Kingdom Visas and Immigration Service (UKVI) noted that his religious freedom was “protected under the First Amendment” and protected by the Civil Rights Act 1964.
UKVI also said he does not have any mental or physical health problems and would seek treatment in the US if it were possible.
Mr Shoniregun had previously documented his activities in London on social media, posting videos of himself eating at McDonald’s and using a computer at the Islington library.
The actor, who filmed himself walking towards the departure gate, said: “I’m going back to Las Vegas. I had a good time here in London and I’m ready to come home.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “Although we do not routinely comment on individual cases, airlines generally require confirmation that a person is fit to fly before being removed from the aircraft.
“We have removed or deported nearly 60,000 people who were here illegally, and we are eliminating the incentives that attract illegal immigrants to this country.”
