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Urgent Appeal on Behalf of the Doldur Family

Unity Centre, Glasgow | 16.08.2006 17:09 | Anti-racism | Migration | Repression

Please help ensure that this family don't get removed before their Judicial Review is heard.

A young Kurdish family were at Brand Street Immigration Reporting Centre in Glasgow on Monday 14th August.

They are to be returned to Turkey on Thursday 17th, where they fear they are in immediate danger of arrest and torture. This family consists of the Father Mehmet Doldur, the Mother Zubeyde and their children; a 5 year old boy Serhat (born the day they arrived in Dover) and a 4 year-old girl, Gulben.

Persecuted for their political beliefs and as a result of witnessing a relative's murder in Turkey the family suffered arrest, harassment and torture. Medical evidence backs up the torture and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder suffered. They fear this will continue if they are forced to return.

The parents were detained separately from their young daughter, who had been visiting her Aunt's house. Immigration Police went to the aunt's house and removed the child, without her shoes, and transported her to Dungavel IRC on her own. She is described as "deeply traumatised" and unable to stop crying. She tells her mother "Mummy, Mummy bad man is coming".



The family are valued members of the local community. Gulben attends Arden Hall nursery and Serhat has been looking forward to his first day at Primary School next week.

Zubeyde's family all live in the UK, and two of Mehmet's siblings have been given refugee status.



The family are now being held in Dungavel Detention Centre in Scotland, and are at risk of removal removal TOMORROW (17th August).

The flights are:
British Midland BD390 Glasgow - Manchester. dep. 7:00am arr 8:05 am
- Turkish Airlines TK1994 Manchester - Istanbul dep.11:00am arr. 16:50.



A Judicial Review HAS BEEN LODGED. The Secretary of State's Policy is to defer removal if such an application is outstanding. They must stay!



How You Can Help



Please fax Liam Byrne at the Home Office asking him to ensure that the deportation does not go ahead according to the Policy on judicial reviews.

- Minister of State, Home Office, Liam Byrne, Fax: 020 7035 4745 from outside the UK + 20 7035 4745



Please also contact Dungavel IRC and the two Airlines involved to make sure that they honour the policy.

- Dungavel IRC: tel. 01698 395000, fax 01698 395076

- British Midland: tel: 01332 854000

- Manchester Airport: tel 0161 489 3000, Fax: 0161 489 3813



Find out more about the human rights situation in Turkey at Human Right’s Watch website:
 http://hrw.org/doc?t=europe&c=turkey

Unity Centre, Glasgow

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Case Update

17.08.2006 13:36

We were told this morning that the family were NOT removed and that an application for bail has been made. Thanks all who took action.

volunteer at Unity Centre