10 Nov 2008

Bin Laden's son deported to Qatar

1:27 pm on 10 November 2008

A son of Osama Bin Laden is in Qatar after being deported from Egypt and Spain after failing to obtain asylum there.

Omar Bin Laden, 27, has said he does not share his father's views and has not seen him since 2000. He is one of the 19 sons of the al-Qaeda leader.

His British wife, Zaina Alsabah Bin Laden (formerly Jane Felix-Browne, 52) said their condemnation of al-Qaeda had put their lives in danger in the Mid-East.

The BBC reports their legal status in Qatar was not known. They were also unsuccessful in securing British visas in April.

Omar Bin Laden made his claim for asylum in Madrid during a stopover on a flight from Egypt to Morocco with his wife.

He said the petition was rejected due to "insufficient evidence of danger or threat to [his] life". An appeal against the ruling is also believed to have been rejected.

The couple were then barred from re-entering Egypt, where they have lived for the past year. It was not known why Egypt denied them entry.

Officials at Cairo airport said the pair were deported to Qatar, where Omar Bin Laden, who has Saudi nationality, should normally have the right to live.

Mrs Bin Laden says his life is in danger because he "stands up and asks for peace" and that Spain is their "only chance of surviving".

NZ attempt too?

On Saturday, Mrs Bin Laden said they had been trying to raise money to fly to New Zealand instead of returning to Egypt.

However, immigration specialist Aussie Malcolm says he doubts Omar bin Laden will be allowed to visit New Zealand.

He says they would have to show there was a good reason not to return to their home country and there is no risk of them overstaying or applying for residency.

The Immigration Department would not comment on the report. But it said people wishing to travel to New Zealand under visa free arrangements may be prevented from boarding an aircraft if they do not satisfy New Zealand's border security measures.