Taxpayers are forking out for the man who walked to Britain through the Channel Tunnel to live in a £100,000 property.
Not only are the public having to foot the illegal migrant’s £700-a-month housing benefit bill, but Abdul Haroun can also now claim Jobseekers’ Allowance at British taxpayers’ expense.
The Daily Mail reports that Abdul Haroun has recently been spotted at the mosque near his new home in Birmingham, and attending a local Job Centre.
Mr. Haroun walked 31 miles through the Channel Tunnel to reach the UK from Calais. His journey caused chaos to Britain’s transport system, and the Sudanese man was arrested for obstructing the railway.
Following his arrest, Mr. Haroun told police through an interpreter: “I came here [to Britain] for protection and to be safe…it was the only solution”. It is unclear why the Sudanese national did not feel he could seek “protection” in France, or any of the other nations he travelled through to get here.
A judge handed the illegal migrant a nine months’ sentence at Canterbury Crown Court for obstructing a railway carriage. Unlike in Mexico, where the majority of illegal immigrants are jailed, the judge allowed the Sudanese man to walk free because of time already served on remand.
Far from Mr. Haroun’s journey being a victimless crime, granting people asylum costs taxpayers a huge amount of money. Furthermore, during the man’s stroll to Britain, transport through the tunnel had to be stopped to prevent him from being struck.
A member from an organisation calling itself “Charity Refugee Help” assisted Mr. Haroun to secure housing in the £100,000 premises. After housing was set up for him, Mr Haroun could be released from jail.
A volunteer for the organisation said that, in doing this, she was enabling migrants to “apply for benefits and apply for work”.
“That’s what people want to do,” the volunteer said, “they want a normal life.”
It is unlikely Mr. Haroun, who is 40, will be working any time soon. The man, who has no family living in the UK, does not speak English.
The Daily Mail reported that friends say Mr. Haroun has started to teach himself English to “improve his opportunities in the UK”. It is unclear why he did not start studying the language at any point before or during his 5,000 mile journey to the UK.
While people like Mr. Haroun see Britain as a rich country, very rarely do any of the UK’s broadcasters allude to the fact that, as a country, we are nearly £2 trillion in debt.
The Daily Mail reported that a neighbour of Mr. Haroun’s, Arthur Berry (81) said: “I hope he hasn’t received any benefits. We’re giving too much money away in this country as it is.”
Another neighbour, Gary Joyce (53), who is unemployed, said refugees deserve to live peacefully, but “if [Mr. Haroun] were here illegally, that would be a different kettle of fish”.