UK Court of Appeal rejects Home Office position in kidnapping case — The Guardian

The UK Court of Appeal has rejected the Home Office’s position in the case of a Syrian asylum seeker who was kidnapped in Libya and held for ransom. The department argued that such a kidnapping did not constitute exploitation for the purposes of human trafficking rules because the man was not forced to work. As The Guardian reports, the court found that the ministry had erred by failing to consider whether the kidnapping amounted to exploitation.

Case circumstances

The legal challenge was brought by a 25-year-old Syrian citizen whose name has not been disclosed. In July 2021, he left the country because of compulsory military conscription, fearing imprisonment and torture for refusing to fight. The man arrived in Libya, from where he hoped to reach the United Kingdom, but he and other Syrians were kidnapped by armed men.

According to the publication, the captives were held for about a month in August and September 2021. Their money and phones were taken, and they were transported through the desert for 24 hours without food and with little water. The kidnappers demanded several thousand dollars in ransom from their families. The man said he was beaten and forced to call his relatives so they could hear his screams. After the ransom was paid, he was released; he later reached Italy by sea, and on May 16, 2022, crossed the English Channel from France to the United Kingdom and sought asylum.

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Review of rejected applications

The Home Office rejected his application to be recognised as a victim of human trafficking. The man challenged this decision in the High Court, which ruled in his favour, after which Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood appealed. The Court of Appeal stated that each application should be considered in light of the facts of the individual case.

The ruling means that the applications of people who were previously refused recognition as victims of human trafficking because of kidnapping for ransom must be considered. They could potentially receive the support and recovery assistance provided for such persons. People who have already been refused may receive a new referral to the National Referral Mechanism for reassessment. According to data obtained through freedom of information requests, of the 1,778 confirmed victims of human trafficking between July 2024 and July 2025, 89% were forcibly taken out of the United Kingdom.

Lawyer Jeremy Bloom, who represented the Syrian man, said the ruling confirms his client’s claim to be recognised as a victim of human trafficking. The Home Office said it was simplifying and strengthening protection mechanisms and immigration procedures while maintaining fairness and public confidence.