Judge urges deportation in Heathrow bag-throw case amid immigration backlog

A judge has urged immigration authorities to deport Ramadan Osman, a 37-year-old Sudanese national, after he allegedly hurled a rucksack from the balcony of Heathrow Terminal 2 in August. The incident, witnessed by a police officer, occurred on August 19 and involved a bag being hurled toward passengers. Osman was later arrested; officers found a stolen Oyster Zip card on him. He is charged with one count of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance and theft. He appeared at Isleworth Crown Court via video link from HMP Wormwood Scrubs, with no fixed address, and entered no pleas.

Judge Martin Edmunds KC told immigration authorities to think laterally and consider deportation now rather than have him under criminal process for four years while awaiting trial in the U.K., due to what he described as Britain's migrant crisis and a backlog of cases. Prosecutor Ravinder Johal described the offence as very strange and said Osman was trying to get back to Sudan to go home. The judge added that the behavior in an airport is not a route for a free ticket back home, but expressed hope that immigration authorities could engage in parallel with any criminal proceedings. He noted that the trial in custody may not take place until October 2029. "There is a prospect he could be deported," Edmunds said, adding that immigration authorities would be consulted to determine if there is an alternative way forward for the case.

Osman is charged with one count of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance and one count of theft; he has entered no pleas. The defendant is scheduled to appear again October 10 for a plea hearing at Isleworth Crown Court, where the position on deportation is expected to be clarified. A further hearing is planned in two weeks to determine whether there is a viable path for removal independent of the criminal process. The case sits against a backdrop of ongoing strain in migration and asylum policy in the United Kingdom, as authorities confront a migrant backlog that affects both criminal prosecutions and immigration decisions.