Benefits paid to 'US asylum seeker' despite UK court ruling he is not at risk

On June 5, 2025, following months of taxpayer-funded residence at a Holiday Inn in Wembley, north London, the Home Office informed Mr Shoniregun his application had been denied.

The rejection letter stated: "You must now leave the United Kingdom. You do not have a right of appeal against this decision because your protection and human rights claims have been certified as clearly unfounded under section 94 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002."

Despite this order, within weeks of eviction from his migrant hotel, the university-educated psychology graduate was provided with social housing and benefits.

Authorities opened a bank account for him and he received approximately £400.19 monthly for living expenses from Islington Council and Saint Stephen's Church in Canonbury.

In November, he was removed from his social housing following aggressive conduct towards staff, which resulted in police intervention.

When the Home Office located Mr Shoniregun on December 10, officials offered him the voluntary returns scheme, providing £1,500 and a flight to Las Vegas, where his mother resides in a $500,000 property within a gated community.

However, he was deemed unfit to fly at Heathrow Airport a week later and, after surrendering his passport to the authorities, was stranded in Britain.

Mr Shoniregun claimed he fled the US after suffering sexual assault at the hands of law enforcement officers, stating he believed returning would place him in danger.

"I have chosen to come back to the United Kingdom because I want humanitarian protection from violent homosexuality," he said.

"I love living in the United States. I just feel as if there are some people who don't like living in the United States, and those people are making my life very difficult. I have been attacked and abused. I've been sexually assaulted by several police officials, and people have just chosen not to believe me,” the migrant claimed.

He alleged he faced constant threats from multiple American police forces, including those in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Boston, Florida and Reno.

Mr Shoniregun also admitted he would happily return to America "to visit".

"I don't mind going back to the United States to visit, then come back here, and I don't mind me willingly making a decision. I just don't want to be deported out of the United Kingdom into the United States," he explained.

Days before departing America for Britain, he attended a campaign rally supporting Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate.

Following multiple unsuccessful attempts to board flights home, he returned to Islington, where authorities treated him as homeless.

After being expelled from St Mungo's shelter following another confrontation, he was placed in a Premier Inn at taxpayers' expense, where he once again clashed with police.

Mr Shoniregun has documented his London activities on social media, posting videos of himself dining at McDonald's, using computers at Islington library and socialising.

"The taxpayers are paying for me to be here, and I want to say thank you. I'm grateful for that," he told The Telegraph.

He argued his UK birth at Whittington Hospital entitled him to support, saying: "I've been born in the United Kingdom, so I think that it's crazy for me not to receive some kind of benefit. So I'm not too surprised. And I don't think that £400 is a lot of cash. I deserve that and more, in my opinion."

An Islington Council spokesman denied providing financial support to rejected asylum seekers, stating the authority "does not offer financial support or social housing to anyone without an eligible immigration status within government rules and regulations".

A Home Office spokesman confirmed: "The airline deemed Mr Shoniregun unfit to fly. We are working to remove him as soon as possible."

GB News has approached Islington Council for further information.

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