Palestine Action: British 'terrorists' in Australia seeking asylum, a Freedom of Information request

22:00 Wed, 22 Jul 2026

Over the last year, there has been extraordinary news coverage in the UK about the terrorist classification for people who appear to be supporting the "Palestine Action". I am not publishing this blog to express support for the group and I am not encouraging anybody else to support the group. Nonetheless, many people feel it is important to reflect on whether this classification is a waste of police resources.

In addition to the question about wasted police resources, the terrorist classification of these ordinary civilians, who the press have characterised as harmless retired schoolteachers, appears to give them strong rights to claim political asylum in other countries.

Many British citizens have moved to Australia over the years and gained permanent residence or citizenship. Some would now like to bring their retired parents to Australia. The standard visa for a parent, retired, has a 25 year backlog. Why would anybody wait 25 years and pay $43,600 in fees when they can simply cut up a cardboard box, write "Palestine Action" on it and declare themselves to be at risk of persecution?

There are rumors that some British citizens have already tried this. Therefore, I sent a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to Australia's Home Affairs department. When they reply to me, they will also post a copy of their response in the disclosure log on their web site. Look out for it.

Subject: UK Palestine Action supporters seeking asylum in Australia
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2026 21:42:01 +0200
From: Daniel Pocock <daniel@pocock.pro>
To: foi@homeaffairs.gov.au

Exercising my rights under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, I'm
writing to request documents concerning the possibility of British
residents who supported "Palestine Action" seeking political asylum
in Australia.

By way of background, on 5 July 2025, the group was proscribed as a
terrorist organization in the UK.  On 2 August 2025 an Australian
judge took a contradictory position, authorizing Palestine Action
supporters to lawfully conduct a high profile march over the
Sydney Harbour Bridge.  The Sydney Harbour Bridge judgment appears
to send a strong signal that these people are welcome in Australia.

Pensioners who created "Palestine Action" signs using cardboard boxes
and motorists who recall having tooted their horn in support of
protests may be among those seeking political asylum on this basis.

I'm asking the department to release all documents about:

a) the hypothetical risk of British residents seeking asylum due to
their adherence to the group or persecution before a UK court,

b) all documents and statistics relating to any claims for asylum that
have actually been submitted on this basis,

c) all documents about the possibility of foreign citizens from any
country using this type of claim to jump the queue, for example,
to avoid the 25 year wait for visa class 103, Parent (standard) of
Australian resident

d) images or copies of any "Palestine Action" materials, including
social media screenshots, flyers, badges, stickers and placards,
these asylum seekers have brought into Australia to justify their
asylum claims

e) correspondence with the British administration about whether these
people will be prose/persecuted upon return to the UK

f) correspondence with the British administration about how/when they
will end the special regime for perceived supporters of the group

g) any documents about the British trying to extradite Palestine Action
supporters back to the UK, whether hypothetical or for real

h) any other correspondence to or from the British administration about
their classification of Palestine Action "terrorists"

Thank you in advance for anything you can release about this affair,
even if some things need to be redacted.

Regards,

Daniel

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Daniel Pocock, Clacton-on-Sea, by-election, Essex, United Kingdom

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