Rejected US asylum seeker pockets £400 a month in UK benefits while demanding more
Failed asylum bid means nothing for freeloading American
Olabode Shoniregun, 27, a psychology graduate from Las Vegas, was slammed by the Home Office after his asylum claim was branded “clearly unfounded.” Despite getting the boot in June 2025 with no right to appeal, Shoniregun has been raking in around £400 a month in taxpayer cash – all while posting glitzy London videos online and demanding even more benefits.
Taxpayer-funded luxury and a bizarre flight saga
Since October 2024, he has been living rent-free, first bunking in a Wembley Holiday Inn and later handed social housing by Islington Council and a local church. This comes even after several run-ins with police and being evicted for aggressive behaviour. In December, the Home Office offered £1,500 plus a flight home to Las Vegas, where his posh mum lives in a gated community. But airlines refused to let him board citing him “unfit to fly.” Now stranded, Shoniregun has surrendered his passport and remains in the UK.
Confusing claims and cash demands
Shoniregun told reporters he fled the US due to sexual assault by police and threats in multiple cities – yet bizarrely says he would “happily” visit the US, just not be deported there. He also claimed he needs “humanitarian protection from violent homosexuality” and insists taxpayers owe him more because he was born in a UK hospital.
“I’ve been born in the United Kingdom, so I think that it’s crazy for me not to receive some kind of benefit… I don’t think that £400 is a lot of cash. I deserve that and more.”
Council and Home Office hit back
Islington Council denied breaking immigration rules, saying they do not pay benefits or provide housing to anyone without proper immigration status. They only offer advice and partner support for homelessness. The Home Office confirmed it is trying to remove Shoniregun but says the airline’s refusal to fly him home is a major obstacle.
Legal loopholes spark fury
Shoniregun’s case highlights the mess of failed asylum seekers still receiving public funds despite clear rejections and no appeal options. Experts warn his claim about birth in a UK hospital granting benefits is dead wrong – British citizenship and access to funds only apply with settled immigration status. His contradictory demand for protection from the US, while welcoming visits, raises serious doubts over the validity of his story.
