The tenacious Sudanese migrant who put the lives of himself and others at risk by walking the full length of the channel tunnel to reach the United Kingdom has been awarded UK asylum, despite facing criminal charges.
Sudanese national Abdul Rahman Haroun, 40, is presently undergoing trial for charges brought against him under the Malicious Damage Act for his walk through the Channel Tunnel, but was granted asylum on Christmas eve by the British government. The fact came to light during a hearing at the Canterbury Crown Court yesterday, reports the BBC.
Remarkably the crown prosecution service is now considering dropping their case against Mr. Haroun, not because they believe no crime has been committed, but instead because he has been granted asylum. The pardoning of a criminal migrant because they acted illegally in the pursuance of asylum is redolent of a similar case in Germany. Breitbart London reported in November the unnamed Syrian smuggler who charged €10,000 a time to get foreigners into Europe was able to walk free.
Instead of a custodial sentence, the man’s punishment was suspended because the judge that declared by smuggling people into Germany he was performing works that were in line with government policy. “Asylum seekers are invited by the German Chancellor to come to Germany”, he said in sentencing.
The charge Mr. Haroun faces relates to his crossing of the English Channel by foot, as he walked 30.5 miles of the full 31 mile length of the Channel rail tunnel. He was apprehended by British police half a mile from the end in August and charged with the 1861 offence of causing an obstruction to an engine or a carriage using the railway, as reported by Breitbart London at the time.
While Mr. Haroun lived through the tunnel, many others have died attempting to achieve the same feat with dozens falling below the wheels of lorries and trains as they attempt to steal themselves into Britain. Despite high security measures at the port of Calais and warnings against attempting the journey, at least two dozen migrants were killed in 2015 jumping onto trains, walking the tracks, or in petty brawls at the migrant camp itself.
In some disturbing cases, the corpses of those who died attempting to smuggle aboard trains were only discovered once the train had arrived in England.
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