A Palestinian citizen of Israel has been granted asylum in the UK after a long legal battle, in a decision described as unprecedented.
The man, identified as Hasan, is believed to be the first Palestinian with Israeli citizenship to be formally recognised as a refugee in the UK.
The Home Office accepted that he has a “well-founded fear of persecution” if returned to Israel.
Hasan, 26, was born in Israel to a Palestinian family whose community remained after the 1948 war, known to Palestinians as the Nakba. He later moved to the UK as a child and spent most of his life there. However, changes to immigration rules meant he was denied permanent permission to stay.
After briefly returning to Israel as a teenager, Hasan re-entered the UK on a visitor visa. In 2019, he applied for asylum, arguing that Palestinian citizens of Israel face systemic discrimination and that his public support for Palestinian rights placed him at risk of arrest or mistreatment if he returned.
In March 2024, Home Office officials initially accepted his claim. Internal assessments cited concerns including discrimination, arbitrary arrest and reprisals against Palestinians who criticise Israeli government policies.
Officials concluded he could not safely be returned to Israel.However, following media attention, then home secretary James Cleverly intervened and sought ways to overturn the decision.
Legal advisers inside the Home Office later warned that ministers could not lawfully reverse the finding because it was based on international refugee law.
Supported by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), Hasan challenged the move through a judicial review. In December 2025, the Home Office confirmed his refugee status, ending nearly seven years of legal uncertainty.
According to reports, Hasan said the delay had left him unable to work, study or rent a home for years, while living under constant fear of removal. He said the decision finally allows him to live in safety.
His solicitor, Taher Gulamhussein of JCWI, said multiple Home Office caseworkers had agreed Hasan met the legal definition of a refugee, but that political pressure had delayed the outcome. JCWI said the case raises wider questions about political influence on asylum decisions.
Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have previously reported that Palestinian citizens of Israel face structural discrimination.
The ruling is likely to be seen as a significant legal precedent for similar asylum claims in the future.
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