Supreme Court will not hear hunger strike refugee's age dispute

The Supreme Court said the case did not raise an "arguable point of law"

A refugee who went on hunger strike after becoming involved in a dispute over his age will not have his case considered by the Supreme Court.

The man who settled in Bristol after fleeing Gaza claims to be 26 but the Home Office assessed him as being 32.

He has indefinite leave to remain in the UK but his lawyers said having his age recognised was key to his identity.

Justices have refused to hear the case because it does not raise an "arguable point of law" in their view.

It is the latest blow to his campaign to force the Home Office to officially change his date of birth.

The man went on hunger strike last year and has been accepting only "clinically assisted nutrition and hydration".

Legal battle

An immigration tribunal judge dismissed his claim in September and three Court of Appeal judges dismissed his appeal against that decision in January.

Appeal judges concluded that his age had been "necessarily and properly" the subject of assessment and said the evidence was not capable of establishing that his claimed birth date was correct.

The man, who cannot be identified, said he was born on 29 December, 1994, but immigration officials said evidence showed he was born on 19 April 1989.

He claimed to have been severely mistreated in Gaza by resistance movement Hamas, for refusing to act as a suicide bomber.

He was granted asylum after arriving in the UK in 2007 when he was placed with a foster family.