A man caught smuggling drugs into the Dover Immigration Removal Centre has pleaded with a judge: “Send me back to Gaza!”

The 23-year-old had fled the Palestinian hotspot after his family arranged for him to be “adopted” by a family in France.

Hara Salama later claimed he discovered that his mother, father and siblings had been killed during an Israeli attack in 2005.

By 2008 he was living was on the streets in the UK and made an application for asylum three years later, being held in Dover Centre until June last year.

Salama then withdrew his application on condition he was sent back to Gaza – but was released after being told by officials that he couldn’t be returned home because of ongoing problems in the area.

Canterbury Crown Court heard how after living rough, friends had offered him a roof over his head if he smuggled cannabis to another man in the detention centre.

But prosecutor Jim Harvey said that last November sniffer dogs were alerted when he arrived and he was then monitored by guards using CCTV.

His friend was spotted slipping a packet into his sock and he was searched and a bag containing 33 grams of the drug was discovered.

Salama, who now lives in Ilford, was also searched and found to have more drugs in his pocket and he later admitted two charges of possessing and supplying cannabis.

?’" - lawyer Phil RowleyGaza“The first thing he asked me was: ‘Is it possible for the court to send me back to

Now, his lawyer Phil Rowley said Salama’s plea was to be sent back to Gaza as soon as possible.

“The first thing he asked me was: ‘Is it possible for the court to send me back to Gaza?’, “ he added.

But a kindly judge held back from sending him immediately to jail for the drugs offences and asked for probation officers to contact refugee organisations to see if they could help him when he is released.

Judge Adele Williams said: “I am minded to pause before sentencing him because as I see it, I can send him to prison now, but there could be ongoing problems when he is released and he is likely to commit more crime in future.”

She adjourned sentence until later this month. Salama, who is serving a prison sentence, was remanded in custody.