Dusan and Agata Garza and their three children, baby Vanessa, Nikki (aged 11) and Adrian (aged 12) fled Slovakia just over a year ago because they suffered racial persecution. Agata had been badly beaten when she was seven months pregnant by racist skinheads in Kosice, where the family lived, because her husband is from the hated Roma minority, traditionally travelling people. Agata still has internal problems because of the assault. Agata gave birth to her youngest child two months prematurely after being assaulted by racist skinheads. Her unborn baby was injured in the attack. Baby Vanessa¹s brain injury is believed to either have occurred because of the attack or due to lack of oxygen during the turbulent birth that resulted.



When the Garza family first arrived in the UK, they were dispersed to Gateshead in Newcastle. The Home Office rejected the family's application for asylum, but they had been living in the community at Gateshead, Tyneside, until a few weeks ago while they awaited the outcome of legal moves. Joan Moon and her husband befriended the Garzova family in Newcastle. Both families attended the same church and the two children settled into school very well. Vanessa began receiving medical attention at Gateshead royal infirmary and began to put on weight. Because of Vanessa¹s acute medical needs - she also has problems with her sight and hearing - their situation had gained media attention on Tyneside. But Immigration moved the family to Dungavel Detention Centre, Scotland soon after their plight became known locally.

Last month, immigration visited the family without warning at 7am in the morning and told them they had one hour to get ready. The family was taken to Scotland¹s only Detention Centre, Dungavel, 40 miles from Glasgow, a former prison surrounded by 25 foot steel fences, razor wire and patrolled and managed by guards employed by Premier Detention services (Wackenhut). The family was allocated one room and given £4 per week. Joan and Jeff Moon kept up their visits to the family at Dungavel, traveling for 8 hours and visiting for the full 7 hours of visiting that was allowed, in the prison visiting room. Because she was 200 miles away in Dungavel, baby Vanessa missed several hospital appointments and stopped putting on weight. No replacement paediatric help was given. 12-year-old Nikki Garza wrote a heartbreaking letter to David Blunkett (see below), pleading for him to remove them from Dungavel and allow them back into the community by the time of her brother Adrian¹s birthday on 24 April 2002. She did not get a reply. The Independent Newspaper highlighted Nikki¹s letter on 11 April 2002 (see link to this article below). Scottish newspapers began picking up the story. The next day, at 7.30 am, immigration officials awoke the Garzas. Dusan, 32; wife Agata, 34; and children, Nikola, 13; Adrian, 11; and 21-month-old Vanessa, who is brain damaged, were given no warning and were not even able to inform their solicitor in London. They were taken first to a detention centre in Manchester and then to Harmondsworth detention centre in London, and were not finished being processed until 2 am.

Their solicitor Azmina Hansraj confirms that she was not informed of the removal and was looking into the possibility of a judicial review to stop the deportation. Unfortunately, they have no more right to appeal and the deportation is scheduled to go ahead on or after the 24 April 2002.

A major campaign across the UK is now building up to support the Garza family's right to stay in the UK. But there is little time - We have less than 6 days to save the Garza family from being deported on or after April 24 2002 back to Slovakia. There is no further route to appeal.

Please act now to support the Garza family's right to sanctuary.



What you can do

The only person in this country that can stop the deportation of the Garza family and grant them asylum on compassionate grounds is LORD ROOKER.



1. Fax Lord Rooker now on 020-7273-2043, or write to him (Lord Rooker, Minister for Citizenship and Immigration, 50 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AT) asking that the Garza family (Home Office ref G1050670) be released from detention and allowed to stay in the UK under Article 3 of the UN Convention of Human Rights. Please send copies of your fax to the Garza's solicitor AZMINA HANSRAJ, Tuckers solicitors, on 0207 388 5888 or email copies to Azmina on:  hansraja@tuckerssolicitors.com (Use the information below).

2. Write or Fax or telephone your MP, requesting that they call for the release of the Garza family and put pressure on Lord Rooker for their release. You can find your MP through, www.FaxyourMP.com and fax them free from your PC.

3. Distribute this to as many people/organisations as possible.

4. ASK YOUR LOCAL PAPER TO LAUNCH A CAMPAIGN FOR THE GARZA IS TO STAY.

5.FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL:

Joan moon, Garza Family Campaign:  joan.moon@blueyonder.co.uk; 0191 487 5973; (0771) 5416873

Azmina Hansraj: 0207 388 8333

Jim Henry: 01294223928

Eniola Adewale:  adewale_eniola@hotmail.com; 07944502874

Robina Qureshi: 0777 332 1727 or  robina@paih.org



LETTER FROM NIKKI GARZA TO DAVID BLUNKETT

Below are the heartbreaking words penned by 13-year-old refugee Nikola Garzova in a last desperate bid to be allowed to live a 'normal' life. She wrote to Home Secretary David Blunkett just days before her family were moved from the Dungavel detention centre in Lanarkshire to another detention centre in London. The move came within days after the family's plight was exposed in the Sunday Mail. The Slovakian family were woken at 7am on Friday and told they were being moved to Harmondsworth Centre. DEAR MR BLUNKETT IT IS MY SECOND BIRTHDAY IN DETENTION. I WANT MY BROTHER TO SPEND HIS WITH HIS FRIENDS. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME? NIKOLA GARZOVA, ROOM 409, DUNGAVEL

Dear Mr Blunkett

I know you are a busy and important person, but I write because my family is in a sad and bad situation. My name is Nikola. I am from Slovakia. I am only 13, a little teenager. My birthday was on April 2. I spent it in the detention centre. It is my second birthday in a detention centre. I lived in Gateshead. I liked it there. It was the best place I have ever been. I had many friends. They did not forget about me. I knew that because they sent many cards. My birthday was sad, so is my family. My mum and dad worry about my little sister, Vanessa. She is 21 months old. She cannot sit, cannot walk and talk. She cannot really see. She missed her hearing test. She has problems, but she is absolutely beautiful. In Gateshead, there was a team of doctors and they helped. If doctors can continue my little sister will be like a normal child.

My brother Adrian, his birthday is on April 24, he will be 12. I wish for him to spend his birthday in Gateshead with friends. Can you help me with it? Please! In this country, my family are happy. Please do not send us back to our country. PLEASE do not forget my family.

From Nikola Garzova,

Room 409, Dungavel