A convicted Islamic State (IS) terrorist came to Britain on a small boat after being told on TikTok that the UK “accepts everyone”, a court heard.
Mohammed Yaseen, 35, decided to come to Britain because he “did not like it in France” and had seen a viral video on TikTok saying that the UK welcomed asylum seekers.
Yaseen had left his “desolate” life to join IS and attended beheadings and public floggings in his home country of Iraq.
He later fled to Germany, where he was was convicted of terrorism because of his links to IS. Despite being expelled from the country for 20 years, he was not deported to Iraq and did not want to return there so made his way to Britain.
He was told on TikTok that the UK “respects human rights” and entered the country on a small boat with around 80 other migrants on Dec 13 last year, according to Steven Molloy, for the prosecution.
“The boat was intercepted and the occupants were taken to Dover and given fresh clothes and a health check,” he told the court.
“They were taken to Manston [immigration centre in Kent] and he gave a completely dishonest account claiming to be a Mohammed Ashimiri with a different date of birth and to be Kuwaiti.
“He said he travelled from Kuwait to France from Belgium and was seeking asylum. He said he did not like it in France but heard on TikTok that the UK accepts everyone and respects human rights.”
He was then sent to live at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Basingstoke, where he was arrested on Christmas Eve after his fingerprints revealed his real identity.
He has now been jailed for two years and is at risk of deportation upon his release.
Yaseen appeared at Winchester Crown Court, Hampshire, having previously admitted one charge of attempting to enter the UK without a valid clearance.
He required an Arabic interpreter in court and Katie Porter-Windley, defending, confirmed that she had not been able to speak to him in English.
However, Mr Molloy suggested this was not true and that members of the police and prison staff had heard him speaking English – only switching to Arabic when he realised he could be heard.
Between 2011 and 2014 he was accused of the rape and murder of a boy in Iraq but was not convicted, the court heard.
In 2014 he travelled to Germany and made three separate asylum applications.
Mr Molloy said that Yaseen had been convicted and jailed for four years and three months in the higher court in Düsseldorf, Germany, for participating in a terrorist organisation and for being a member of IS.
It was heard that he had been a bystander to public executions, stonings and floggings and had been found with a Kalashnikov rifle.
Mr Molloy said: “There is persistent dishonesty in making asylum claims under false names in both Germany and the UK.
“There is a deeper and lengthy involvement in terrorism and Islamic extremist ideology.
“Our assessment is that he is high risk in all categories. There is a danger that this individual poses to the whole of the UK.”
Ms Porter-Windley said: “I acknowledge the elephant in the room which is the previous convictions in Germany.
“I want to make it clear that his intention to come into this country has no relevance or relationship to what that previous conviction was for. He has not committed any other offences in this country.”
Jailing Yaseen, Judge Parker said: “In 2014 when you were aged about 23 in Iraq you changed what appears to be something of a desolate life into one where you supported IS. You felt aligned at the time to the organisation of IS.”