Failed Asylum Seeker Convicted of Rape Claims Bisexuality to Challenge Deportation to Egypt

Karam Majdi, Sussex Police | Karam Majdi, Sussex Police

Karam Majdi, an Egyptian national whose asylum application was previously rejected, is attempting to prevent his deportation from the United Kingdom by claiming that he is bisexual and would face persecution if returned to Egypt.

Majdi, now 27, was sentenced to seven years in prison in May 2018 after being convicted of raping a 14-year-old schoolgirl. Following a six-day trial at Brighton Crown Court, he was found guilty of attacking the teenager after meeting her at East Croydon railway station and taking her to a nearby hostel, where the assault took place. At the time of his arrest in 2017, he had been living in Seafield Road, Hove, as a student.

During a deportation appeal hearing, Majdi argued that he should not be removed from the UK because his claimed bisexuality would expose him to persecution in Egypt. The tribunal also heard that while serving his prison sentence, authorities assessed him as posing a "high risk to children."

Representing the Home Office, George Mavrantonis challenged Majdi's claim, arguing that the assertion of bisexuality only emerged in 2021, several years after his conviction and shortly before deportation proceedings. The Home Office contended that there was no earlier indication of same-sex attraction. Records from 2019 reportedly referred only to relationships with women, and officials argued that the new claim lacked credibility and appeared to have been made solely to strengthen his asylum case.

Immigration authorities also highlighted inconsistencies in Majdi's earlier asylum application. When he arrived in the UK by small boat in 2016, he allegedly claimed to be an unaccompanied Syrian minor who had fought in Aleppo during the Syrian civil war. However, the Home Office rejected his asylum application after concluding that he was in fact an Egyptian national and that his account was false.

During the tribunal proceedings, Majdi stated that he had previously been involved in relationships with two men but said he could not provide any supporting evidence. He claimed that photographs and text messages had been lost after he misplaced the SIM card from his iPhone. The Home Office argued that the absence of corroborating evidence further weakened the credibility of his claim.

The tribunal also heard that after completing his prison sentence, Majdi was involved in additional criminal offences, including cocaine possession and driving without a valid licence.

The Home Office maintains that Majdi's asylum claims, including his recent assertion of bisexuality, are not credible and has continued to seek his deportation to Egypt. The tribunal is expected to determine whether his removal can legally proceed in light of his human rights and asylum arguments.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)