Abdifatah Yusuf Adani, 22, has been charged with attempted murder following an alleged stabbing at a hotel in Stanwell, Surrey, used to house asylum seekers. He appeared at Staines Magistrates' Court, communicating through a Somali translator.
Mr Adani is alleged to have stabbed a welfare officer five times with a large kitchen knife at the Stanwell Hotel, near Heathrow Airport, at approximately 18:30 BST on Saturday.
The lead magistrate confirmed that Mr Adani had entered the UK illegally via a small boat. He has been remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear at Guildford Crown Court on 17 September.