Clapham: Police give statement on substance attack
Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick has torn into “naive” vicars for helping potentially dangerous asylum seekers exploit loopholes in the system. Mr Jenrick’s warning comes after it was revealed the suspected wanted in connection to acid attack south London - that injured a mum, her two daughters and nine others - had his asylum application rejected twice.
However after a priest vouched for him that he had converted to Christianity, it was deemed his new faith made it too dangerous to deport the asylum seeker back to his home country of Afghanistan.
Abdul Shokoor Ezedi is now wanted in connection with the shocking alkali attack on a woman in Clapham South on Wednesday.
This morning the senior Tory MP blasted Britain’s “dangerously broken” asylum system.
READ MORE: Newsnight in chaos as left-wing Tory slammed for hijacking acid attack debate
Mr Jenrick warned Britain's asylum system is "dangerously broken" (Image: Getty)
Mr Jenrick added that while this case raises “grave concerns” they aren’t “a great surprise to me”.
He told the Today Programme: “The argument I’ve been making for a long time is that our asylum system is dangerously broken and needs fundamental reform”.
“It appears from what little we know of this case, that this is in an individual whose asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK was granted by a tribunal - so probably by a judge, rather than Home Office officials - despite the fact that he had been convicted of a sexual offence and on the basis of evidence which we shall have to see may well be spurious or insubstantial, such as this suggestion that he had converted to Christianity.”
He urged the Home Secretary to conduct a “detailed review” of the case.
The former immigration minister warned that Britain is now “regularly” seeing cases of asylum seekers "making spurious claims to have converted to Christianity, aided and abetted by often well-meaning but naive, vicars and priests”.
Don't miss...
'Stinks of secrecy' - Nicola Sturgeon torn apart by Question Time audience [WATCHv]
Rachel Reeves refuses to answer ￡28bn question 10 times in cringeworthy intervie [LATEST]
Reform UK unveils ex-Labour MP as Rochdale by-election candidate [LATEST]
The Clapham attack suspect reportedly failed twice to gain asylum before being granted it after chan (Image: Met Police)
Become an Express Premium member Support fearless journalism Read The Daily Express online, advert free Get super-fast page loading
Start 30-day
FREE trial
He warned it is just one example of “how broken the system is”, and is a further example of the need for Britain to get migrants deported to Rwanda and end interference by foreign human rights courts.
Taking to Twitter/X after his interview, Mr Jenrick put it simply: “Detain and remove illegal migrants. End the merry go round of spurious individual claims. Put the safety of the British public first”.
A 31-year-old woman is now feared blind after threw what it reported to be oven cleaner in their faces from a metal coffee cup.
Suspect Abdul Ezedi had traced the mum to the two-star Clapham South Belvedere Hotel, where she was staying in a local council-provided room.
He is alleged to have snatched the youngest child, aged three, and put her in the back of a white car before the mum and older daughter attempted to intervene. It was then that the substance, claimed by The Sun to be oven cleaner, was reportedly thrown at them.
Trending
This morning a Government minister refused to be drawn on the specific details of the horrific attack, but said it showed precisely why Rishi Sunak is so determined to fix Britain’s asylum process and get flights to Rwanda started.
Families minister David Johnston conceded that the known details of this case will “understandably concern every member of the British public”.
DON'T MISS
Powered by
'I am a lawyer and the UK has the best human rights record in Europe'
49 Comments
Robert Jenrick says UK can't stay in ECHR as he refuses to rule out Tory leadership bid
704 Comments
Nigel Farage slaps down Archbishop of Canterbury over attack on Rwanda Bill
213 Comments
Imran Khan sentenced to 14 years in prison just one day after being jailed by second court
21 Comments
Abdul Ezedi: Everything we know about Clapham 'acid attacker' and convicted sex offender
Comments
Lord Ken Clarke warns UK hurtling towards 'elected dictatorship' in angry migration rant
422 Comments
Former Coronation Street star Nicola Thorp breaks silence as Laurence Fox loses libel case
Comments
Keir Starmer is dangerously drunk on wokery
67 Comments
Lee Anderson claims he was offered ￡400k to quit Tory Party for Reform UK
154 Comments
POLL: Should Rishi Sunak offer a referendum on cutting immigration? Vote here
500 Comments
Book on 'sex for secrets' claims about former top UK ambassador set to be sold in US
15 Comments
Over 30,000 illegal migrants waiting to be sent to Rwanda roaming free on UK streets
Comments
Shapps urges action on Channel crisis, Jenrick questions Rwanda bill and ECHR
145 Comments
James Cleverly vows tough migration rules will halt shock population rise to 74million
1762 Comments
BBC Newsnight in chaos as left-wing Tory slammed for hijacking Clapham acid attack debate
535 Comments
Clapham acid attack: Moment officers in hazmat suits raid house on hunt for Abdul Ezedi
Comments
Clapham acid attacker manhunt enters day two as claims substance was 'oven cleaner'
Comments
Nigel Farage explodes over new forecasts predicting 6 million more migrants by 2036
776 Comments
Rishi Sunak vows to defy European judges over Rwanda despite bitter judge's warning
1299 Comments
High time police got tough on the real crime wave, says LEO McKINSTRY
81 Comments
'I am a lawyer and the UK has the best human rights record in Europe'
49 Comments
Robert Jenrick says UK can't stay in ECHR as he refuses to rule out Tory leadership bid
704 Comments
Nigel Farage slaps down Archbishop of Canterbury over attack on Rwanda Bill
213 Comments
Imran Khan sentenced to 14 years in prison just one day after being jailed by second court
21 Comments
Abdul Ezedi: Everything we know about Clapham 'acid attacker' and convicted sex offender
Comments
Lord Ken Clarke warns UK hurtling towards 'elected dictatorship' in angry migration rant
422 Comments
Former Coronation Street star Nicola Thorp breaks silence as Laurence Fox loses libel case
Comments
Keir Starmer is dangerously drunk on wokery
67 Comments
Lee Anderson claims he was offered ￡400k to quit Tory Party for Reform UK
154 Comments
POLL: Should Rishi Sunak offer a referendum on cutting immigration? Vote here
500 Comments
Book on 'sex for secrets' claims about former top UK ambassador set to be sold in US
15 Comments
Over 30,000 illegal migrants waiting to be sent to Rwanda roaming free on UK streets
Comments
Shapps urges action on Channel crisis, Jenrick questions Rwanda bill and ECHR
145 Comments
James Cleverly vows tough migration rules will halt shock population rise to 74million
1762 Comments
BBC Newsnight in chaos as left-wing Tory slammed for hijacking Clapham acid attack debate
535 Comments
Clapham acid attack: Moment officers in hazmat suits raid house on hunt for Abdul Ezedi
Comments
Clapham acid attacker manhunt enters day two as claims substance was 'oven cleaner'
Comments
Nigel Farage explodes over new forecasts predicting 6 million more migrants by 2036
776 Comments
Rishi Sunak vows to defy European judges over Rwanda despite bitter judge's warning
1299 Comments
High time police got tough on the real crime wave, says LEO McKINSTRY
81 Comments
'I am a lawyer and the UK has the best human rights record in Europe'
49 Comments
Robert Jenrick says UK can't stay in ECHR as he refuses to rule out Tory leadership bid
704 Comments
Nigel Farage slaps down Archbishop of Canterbury over attack on Rwanda Bill
213 Comments
Imran Khan sentenced to 14 years in prison just one day after being jailed by second court
21 Comments
Abdul Ezedi: Everything we know about Clapham 'acid attacker' and convicted sex offender
Comments
Lord Ken Clarke warns UK hurtling towards 'elected dictatorship' in angry migration rant
422 Comments
Former Coronation Street star Nicola Thorp breaks silence as Laurence Fox loses libel case
Comments
“What I do know is the British public have been very frustrated by hearing these sorts of stories over a number of years.
“This is why this Government is so determined to end the asylum merry-go-round because we’ve seen a number of cases reported in the media where the British public do not understand why certain people are able to continually challenge asylum decisions and often end up successfully claiming asylum having been rejected.
“That’s very much what the Safety of Rwanda Bill is all about, trying to end the asylum merry-go-round that we’ve seen."
Related articles Khan urged to 'own up' after fake and 'dodgy' legal claims exposed in ULEZ row UK missing out on a huge Brexit opportunity because of FCDO 'pigheadedness' Brexit 'in peril' with Sunak 'squandering opportunities' in EU deal – warning Brexit-hating Lefties have proven they do not get Express readers - David Maddox Sunak's Tories heading for less than 100 seats as fears of wipeout increase