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Rahimi Family Must Stay! - Public Meeting

John O for NCADC | 18.06.2006 19:21 | Refugee Week 2006 | Migration | Birmingham

How small a cage is for a bird!
How boring a fish bowl is for a fish!
How scary and dark a grave is for a living and breathing boy!
How ugly detention is for a child!
Hand cuffs, iron locks, closed doors, fences
I was just six years old.
I felt great sorrow, as I had been doing very well at school And they
didn't permit me to go to school
when they took me to Yarlswood prison
For what crime? I don't know.
We came from a far land
with exhausted feet,
to this strange land
I want to smell calming flowers,
I want to search for secure moments,
I wish that I could fly!


Navid & Zoreh
Navid & Zoreh

Alirezah
Alirezah

Azra Jabbar - Stop Deporting Children
Azra Jabbar - Stop Deporting Children

Sue Conlon - Rahimi Family Solicitor
Sue Conlon - Rahimi Family Solicitor

Angela Patterson - (A refusee to leave the UK)
Angela Patterson - (A refusee to leave the UK)

Mansoor Sadri
Mansoor Sadri


Angela & John O from NCADC
Angela & John O from NCADC


Navid Rahimi read out this poem of his memories of 32 days spent in Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre, Zohreh his mother and
Alirezah spoke of the hardships they have gone through since coming to the UK and applying for asylum.

Azra Jabbar from 'national stop deporting children' spoke passionately of the horrors of the detention and deportation of children.

Sue Conlon the familys solicitor told the meeting that a new asylum claim had been lodged just the day before the meeting, she is hopeful that it will be successful.

Mansoor Sadri - spoke about his friend Babak Ahadi, an Iranian asylum seeker who set himself alight at his NASS accommodation in Bristol last year. He died the following day in Frenchay hospital.

The Campaign meeting in support of the Rahimi family was attended by about 40/50 people. it was held in the Newhampton Arts Centre, Dunkley Street, Wolverhampton.

Ken Purchase the family's MP opened the meeting and promised to fight all the way to get refugee status for the Rahimi's.

Background: 'Sanctuary for Zohreh, Alirezah and Navid'
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/archives/filed%20newszines/oldnewszines/newszine58/zahrieh.htm

Stop Deporting Children:  http://www.standup4children.org/

Photos: Copyright of Stalingrad O'Neill

John O for NCADC
- e-mail: ncadc@ncadc.org.uk
- Homepage: http://www.ncadc.org.uk