THE actions of immigration officers contributed to the death of an asylum-seeker who fell through a roof during a raid, a jury has found. 

Mustafa Dawood, 23, died after suffering serious head injuries when he fell through a plastic roof at Shaftesbury car wash in Newport, Wales, in June 2018.

An inquest at Gwent Coroner’s Court heard that immigration officers gave chase to Mr Dawood, who fled to a nearby warehouse, fearing that he would be arrested. 

The officer in charge ordered the pursuit to be abandoned after Mr Dawood began climbing up shelves, but the court heard that not all officers were aware of the order and continued the chase. 

Today, the jury concluded that several actions by immigration officers could have contributed to Mr Dawood’s death. 

They include failures to communicate that the pursuit had ended once his life was in danger and to move away from Mr Dawood and withdraw. 

The jury also concluded that one officer’s decision to bring out his baton as the 23-year-old was hanging from a security light near the roof of the warehouse was a contributory factor, as well as the fact that the Home Office had not properly trained the officers in how to conduct a safe pursuit. 

Coroner Caroline Saunders said that she would write a recommendation for the training of officers in pursuit procedures to be improved.

Following the jury’s conclusion, Mr Dawood’s mother Hameda Hamed Shogar Ahmed, who travelled from Sudan for the inquest, said in a statement: “I loved my son very much.

“No matter what we do, Mustafa will not return to life, but I would like to say that this tragedy will not happen to other families. I hope lessons will be learnt from Mustafa’s death.”

The inquest heard how Mr Dawood had fled persecution in Sudan to seek asylum in Britain. 

A spokesperson for law firm Bhatt Murphy, which represented the family,  called on the Home Office to urgently review its policies and practices.

“It is a matter of national shame that, as part of the renamed “compliant environment,” the Home Office continues to irresponsibly and dangerously pursue vulnerable people during enforcement visits which, as Mustafa’s case shows, has devastating consequences.”

His mother added in the statement that Mr Dawood’s asylum support money had been wrongly stopped before the incident, which is believed to be the reason he took a job at the car wash despite not having the right to work. 

Support worker Mark Seymour, who knew Mr Dawood through his work with Newport-based charity The Sanctuary, said he had “mixed feelings” following the jury’s conclusion. 

“[It’s] so sad that, had these errors not been made, he would still be with us,” Mr Seymour, who attended the inquest, told the Morning Star.

“But delighted to see that the tragic and ill-informed errors made are out for all to see.”

The Home Office was approached for comment.