PRESS RELEASE

For immediate use
Sunday 28th November

Mother & 8 year old son ‘removed’ under cover of darkness

Local MP’s, church leaders and education officials yesterday pleaded with the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, the Minister for Children, Margaret Hodge & the Minister for Immigration, Des Browne, to intervene in the case of an 8 year old child and his mother who had been aggressively and illegally removed from their home in Bristol and were being held at a secure facility outside Gatwick airport, facing imminent deportation to Colombia.

Miguel, 8 years old, is a much loved member of the St Nicholas of Tolentine RC primary school. His first action after detention was to write a letter apologising for his absence (see attached), still looking forward to and practising for his tap dance routine at the school’s Christmas show on 13th December.

In a move that can only deepen the trauma felt by a family escaping paramilitary threats and murder in South America, Virgelina (Lina) Castano and her 8 year old son, Miguel, were seized in a pre dawn raid by a large group of police officers and officials of the Home Office Immigration Service in Bristol, on 25th November.

The mother, a devout catholic, was strip searched and left in her bra and knickers under the full gaze of male police officers. They were told to pack one small bag as they were going to be transported to a detention centre at Gatwick airport and would be deported back to Colombia on Sunday morning.

Miguel’s father, who was luckily not at home at the time, is now in hiding and wishes to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals against his family in Colombia.

Lina Castano and Miguel are victims of the Immigration Service’s preoccupation with arresting ‘soft targets’ as highlighted in the Guardian on 14th August 2004. They are much loved and respected within Bristol and have behaved throughout the asylum process with total candour, always acting in strict accordance with the law.

At no stage prior to the raid were the family informed of the raid. In fact, when they went to the police station to sign on the day before, both the family and their solicitor received assurances from Home Office official, Helen Procter, that there was no intention to deport them. At 6 am the following morning, Helen Procter, accompanied by seven police officers raided their house with a warrant that was dated 18th November, one week earlier.

The family sought asylum on arrival 3 ½ years ago having fled paramilitary intimidation that had already cost the lives of several close family members.

Human Rights Watch have repeatedly reported on government inaction and links to the paramilitary FARC. The UNHCR describes Colombia as one of its most serious concerns in terms of refugee creation. Medecins San Frontiers report that the family’s home town Cali is “more violent than Iraq”, with only 3 in 10 men making it to the age of 30 and 1.225 assassinations recorded in the first 6 months of this year (with seven wounded for every one homicide)

For further info please contact:

Paul Fordham
0117 902 5054
0773 426 2797
 paul@cactusjazz.freeserve.co.uk

Bristol Evening Post link:
 http://www.thisisbristol.com/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145186&command=displayContent&sourceNode=144934&home=yes&contentPK=11394276

attached:
letter from Right Reverend Declan Lang, Bishop of Clifton
letter from City Council Education official Ruth Pickersgill
letter from Miguel Castano, 8 years old
photo of Lina & Miguel