Home Office civil servant overseeing Rwanda deportations is standing for the Green Party - and he's under investigation over social media posts laughing at October 7 attacks

By CHRISTIAN CALGIE, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT-AT-LARGE Published: 23:42, 1 May 2026 | Updated: 23:42, 1 May 2026 A civil servant standing for the Green Party in next week's local elections is under investigation over his social media activity. Atikur Rahman, standing in the Birmingham ward of Tyseley and Hay Mills, has been working at the Home Office for nearly three years. During that time, Mr Rahman has interacted with numerous posts that appear to betray his political allegiances and which criticise both the Conservative and Labour governments under which he has served. These include an occasion when he reacted to a post commemorating dead Israelis, in which Deloitte's team in the Middle East said their 'hearts and minds are deeply empathetic towards the families and friends who have suffered the loss of their loved ones in a harsh and unfathomable reality'. Choosing from LinkedIn's set range of responses, Mr Rahman 'finds this funny', the post shows. He later liked a post condemning the memorial, which branded it 'political' and added: 'I do not share these sentiments... I ALWAYS AM AND ALWAYS WILL BE IN SUPPORT OF THE LIBERATION OF ALL PALESTINIANS'. A year ago, he also liked a video claiming that Israel was 'attacking the UK' by funding the summer riots and Tommy Robinson, while he also liked a post from a lawyer representing the singer Bob Vylan, who had sparked fury by chanting 'death to the IDF' at the Glastonbury Festival. The post claimed that 'all [Vylan] did was raise alert to the genocide in Gaza given that so many were deaf to the crimes of the IDF'. Atikur Rahman (pictured) has been a Home Office civil servant for nearly three years, even overseeing the Conservative Government's deportation treaty with Rwanda  Mr Rahman is now under investigation by the Home Office for his social media activity  The mandarin's social media activity has once again sparked allegations of politicised civil servants working to thwart the aims of the elected government. Five months ago, Mr Rahman liked a comment replying to Sir Keir Starmer, reading: 'You have disgraced our proud country with your dealings'. During his time at the Home Office, Mr Rahman was given responsibility for overseeing the Conservative Government's deportation treaty with Rwanda, a policy branded 'punitive, inhumane... [and] a very expensive way to be cruel' by the Greens at the time. Championing his new role two years ago, Mr Rahman suggested he would 'embrace the exciting time ahead'. But further social media activity reveals a much more critical view of his department's leadership at the time, such as liking a post branding Suella Braverman - the then Home Secretary - 'evil'. He also liked a post criticising the Conservative government's plans to increase the minimum salary threshold of a spousal visa as putting 'a price on love', and a post accusing the government of having 'stoked immigration divides and fear'. The revelations sparked fury from Ms Braverman, who defected to Reform earlier this year. She told the Mail: 'This outrageous case exposes exactly what I was up against in the Home Office and the sheer scale of the battle a Reform UK government will face. 'When a senior civil servant charged with delivering the Rwanda deportation policy is so openly brazen in spouting vile conspiracy theories and sabotaging efforts to protect our borders it reveals a deeply troubling truth. In one incident Mr Rahman appeared to laugh at a post commemorating Israeli deaths He also appeared to 'like' a post branding Suella Braverman, his department's then Home Secretary, 'evil' 'Reform UK will root this out. A reformed Civil Service will once again serve the national interest not work against it.' This paper understands Mr Rahman's social media activity is being investigated by the Home Office, with a spokesman insisting: 'All civil servants must adhere to the Civil Service Code and are expected to carry out their role with integrity, honesty, objectivity and political impartiality. 'Whenever the Civil Service Code is breached, the matter will be taken very seriously, fully investigated, and actioned appropriately.' A Green Party spokesman said: 'Where there are examples brought to our attention that do not fit in with the views of the Green Party, we are looking into them.' Mr Rahman said: 'I am horrified to learn that I might have selected the wrong reaction to a post. 'Any interactions I have on social media are not intended as endorsements or agreement. During my time in the Civil Service, I adhered to the Civil Service Code and carried out my duties impartially, with professionalism and integrity. 'I will engage appropriately with any process in the background.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. 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