Migrant ‘was allowed to stay in the UK after Grenfell claim’

A TUNISIAN migrant who was illegally in the UK was given a year’s amnesty after falsely claiming to be a Grenfell fire victim, a court heard.

Abdelkarim Rekaya, 28, was accused of lying to the local authority about having lived in Grenfell Tower.

Isleworth Crown Court heard Mr Rekaya claimed to have been homeless and sleeping rough up on the 11th and 12th floor stairwells.

He was subsequently placed in temporary accommodation as part of the efforts to rehouse survivors.

The Tunisian is said to have also sought to exploit the Government’s immigration amnesty for survivors.

“He was placed for some time in hotel accommodation and subsequent to that temporary placement, he was housed as part of attempts to rehouse any survivors of the fire,” prosecutor Aimee Emby said.

She said Mr Rekaya arrived in the UK on a tourist visa in 2008 which expired a year later and that in 2010 he failed to attend an appointment with the Home Office.

“He has been in the UK with no legal right to remain from 2009 at the expiration of that tourist visa until he was afforded 12 months’ leave as a Grenfell survivor,” the prosecutor said.

His pretrial hearing was adjourned until July 13 because his counsel had been unable to attend Wandsworth prison in south London to take instruction.

Five others – four men and a woman – arrested as part of the investigation have been released on bail.

Mr Rekaya, of Lots Road, Chelsea, denied fraud by false representation and obtaining leave to remain in the UK by deceptive means.