An asylum seeker living in a taxpayer-funded hotel is running a lucrative graphic design business from his bedroom and is believed to be earning thousands from corporate clients, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Extraordinary video footage obtained by this newspaper of the man’s room at the Thistle City Barbican, in London, shows a Macbook laptop and iMac computer, Selfridges bags and a £580 Louis Vuitton wallet.
The migrant, understood to be originally from Sudan but to have spent the last two years living in Dubai, was said to have been working on ‘Silicon Valley-style’ pitch-decks on a third Mac laptop at the time the footage was taken.
A source who filmed the room said the man spoke openly about the fact his asylum claim was based on persecution for being gay.
The source said: ‘I asked if the claim was legitimate, and he said “of course not”.’
The MoS has since discovered that the man appears to have a wife still living in Dubai who works for a major Emirati investment firm.
On top of thousands of pounds worth of Apple equipment, the Sudanese designer’s room also contained a large printer, a bag from London’s designer department store Liberty, a Nespresso coffee machine, and two bottles of luxury Voss water.
Asylum seekers typically get £49.18 per week from the government to support their living costs as well as their accommodation paid for.
Extraordinary video footage obtained by The Mail on Sunday of an asylum seeker’s hotel room at the Thistle City Barbican show Selfridges bags and luxury Voss water bottles
There are also MacBooks and a Nespresso coffee machine on the table where he is said to be running a lucrative graphic design business
On top of thousands of pounds worth of Apple equipment, the Sudanese designer’s room also contained a large printer
The source said: ‘I saw the work, he was doing a pitch deck for a company. His stuff was pretty good. It was pretty swish, it was Silicon Valley style, he is obviously making thousands.
‘He said he doesn’t pay any tax and that he had been there two years. He said “they can’t move me”.
‘They had twice offered to move him to Manchester but he had refused. He was smiling the whole time. There is a whole system of gaming going on.’
The source explained that the migrants in the Barbican hotel demand to be put in the coveted rooms at the top floor of the hotel as they are larger and have better bathrooms. The Sudanese designer had one of these which is part of the reason he did not want to be moved.
‘He spoke perfect English. He was well-educated, very calm, nice, jovial, funny. In stark contrast to the others in the building.’
The Thistle City Barbican has been at the epicentre of outrage over the asylum hotel crisis in recent weeks.
Last month the MoS revealed that more than 90 criminal charges have been brought against 41 migrants living at the hotel over the last three years, including sexual assault, arson, theft, burglary, carrying knives, assault and drug offences.
The hotel had already been named as a hub for illegal working, with migrants pictured outside riding off in Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats jackets with food bags, while electric bikes were seen outside.
The Thistle City Barbican has been at the epicentre of outrage over the asylum hotel crisis in recent weeks
Police officers stand outside the Thistle City Barbican hotel, in London on August 8, 2025, ahead of an expected protest
A demonstrator holds an anti-racism sign outside the Thistle City Barbican hotel, in London, on August 8, 2025
Stand Up To Racism activists stand outside hotel holding a ‘Refugees welcome’ sign during a counter demonstration on August 8, 2025
Earlier this month, more than a thousand protesters from opposing sides clashed outside the hotel, with hundreds demonstrating against the hotel which sparked a counter protest by Stand Up To Racism activists.
In total there were nine arrests, including seven for breaching Public Order Act conditions.
The Home Office said it was unable to identify the individual. Asylum seekers in some occupations, including graphic design, can apply for permission to work if their claim to live in the UK has not been processed in more than a year.
The Home Office was unable to say whether this individual had obtained permission.
