Egyptian NHS Doctor Wins Legal Battle Against UK Deportation Over Hamas-Related Posts

[Social Media]

 

An Egyptian doctor working for the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has successfully challenged her deportation after a legal tribunal ruled that the government’s decision to expel her was neither reasonable nor proportionate. Dr. Mennah Elwan, a 34-year-old neurology specialist, had her leave to remain revoked by then-Home Secretary James Cleverly after she posted comments on social media that were deemed to glorify Hamas’ deadly attack on Israeli civilians on October 7.  

 

Judge Stephen Davies, who oversaw the upper tribunal case, acknowledged that Dr. Elwan’s three posts on X (formerly Twitter) were “shocking and inexcusable.” He agreed with Mr. Cleverly’s assessment that her remarks had supported, justified, and glorified the terrorist attacks, in which 364 Israelis were killed at the open air music concert. He also stated that her posts conveyed “gloating” over the success of the attack. However, despite condemning the nature of her comments, the judge ultimately quashed the government’s decision to deport her, citing human rights protections under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and common law.  

 

Dr. Elwan, who had lived in the UK for seven years and was employed by an NHS trust in Liverpool, held a skilled worker visa valid until 2027. On the night of October 7, she posted three times on X. The first, posted at 6:52 p.m., showed Israeli festival-goers fleeing gunmen, with a caption stating, “If it was your home, you would stay and fight. You wouldn’t just run away,” followed by a smiling emoji. A second post later that evening asserted that Israel had “illegally occupied Palestine” and that “there are no civilians in Israel.” A third post responded to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s condemnation of the attacks, stating: “Just take all the Israelis to [the] UK away from terrorist Palestine [emojis] a win for everyone, no?”  

 

 

The judge ruled that Dr. Elwan’s first post, featuring the video of fleeing civilians, demonstrated a “barely concealed sneer of cowardice” toward unarmed people attempting to escape the violence. He added that the smiling emoji further reinforced her apparent satisfaction with the attack, thereby constituting an endorsement of Hamas’ actions. Regarding her second post, he determined that it expressed a clear view that no one in Israel could be considered a civilian, which he said implied justification for violence against all Israeli residents.  

 

Despite these findings, the judge ruled that Mr. Cleverly’s decision to revoke her right to remain in the UK was disproportionate, given the “short-lived and one-off nature” of the posts, the fact that they were quickly deleted, and her otherwise unblemished record. He noted that Dr. Elwan had not publicly apologized for her statements but concluded that her expulsion was not justified under current legal standards. He has now referred the case back to current Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who must decide whether to reaffirm the decision to remove Dr. Elwan or allow her to stay.  

 

Dr. Elwan was denied her appeal for indefinite leave to remain in the UK, meaning her future in the country remains uncertain. The Home Office had initially argued that her statements warranted deportation on the grounds that they justified terrorist violence and could incite inter-community tensions. Mr. Cleverly defended his decision, stating, “I stand by the decision I made. Celebrating murder, championing the vile acts of a terrorist organization, and victim-blaming all tell me this is a person who does not share our country’s values and does not deserve our hospitality.” He urged Yvette Cooper to stand firm and proceed with Dr. Elwan’s removal.  

 

A Home Office source was quoted as saying: “People who think these attacks were funny have no place in the UK and, if not citizens, should be kicked out. Once again, we see the ECHR being abused to allow this person to stay in the UK.” The final decision now rests with the Home Secretary, who must determine the next course of action regarding Dr. Elwan’s residency in Britain.

 

Based on a report by Daily Telegraph  2025-02-24

 

Related Topic:

Anti-Semitism in the NHS: The Disturbing Reality of Hate Among Medical Professionals

 

 

[Donga]

Yep, she would be a valuable doctor living with her own people and their beliefs.

Do everyone a favour and send her packing.