Judge is asked to decide on hunger-strike refugee
AJUDGE has been asked to decide whether medics should start feeding a West-based refugee who went on hunger strike four months ago after becoming involved in a dispute with the Home Office about his age.
Hospital bosses responsible for the man’s care have asked Mr Justice Hayden to consider whether the man is mentally capable of making his own decisions about eating, after doctors became concerned about his health.
Doctors say they do not plan to force-feed the man, if Mr Justice Hayden rules that he is not mentally capable of making decisions, but hope he will accept the judge’s ruling and allow medics to provide nutrition.
Mr Justice Hayden is considering the case at a virtual public hearing in the Court of Protection, where issues relating to people who may lack the mental capacity to make decisions are considered, and has been told that the man is at a stage where he could rapidly deteriorate.
He has ruled that the man cannot be named in media reports of the case and is expected to deliver a ruling in the near future.
The hearing began on Monday but reporting restrictions prevented detail of the case being revealed.
Mr Justice Hayden yesterday relaxed those restrictions after considering arguments from PA Media.
The man, who settled in Bristol after fleeing his home in Gaza a decade ago, says he is 26 – although immigration officials have assessed his age as 31.
Mr Justice Hayden has heard how the man’s family had been killed, and he had been tortured, before he travelled to the UK.
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Specialists say he is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The man is taking part in the hearing from his hospital bed.
He has had a one-to-one discussion with Mr Justice Hayden.
The judge has described the man’s hunger strike as a “crusade”.
He said the man had been given permission to live in the UK and would gain no obvious benefits if immigration officials altered their age assessment.
But the man, who is taking legal action against the Home Office in a bid to get the age assessment changed, says his correct age is key to his identity and a matter of great importance to him.
Mr Justice Hayden said he had made Home Secretary Priti Patel aware of the man’s circumstances.