Last week the High Court heard the case of 'HMGO' on country guidance in relation to the removal to Khartoum of certain Sudanese nationals. It seems that the judge said that there were serious errors in the Home Offices case and gave strong indications that the court may make it harder for the Home Office to remove anyone to Khartoum. However, the judgement has not been handed down yet and may not be for a couple of weeks.

NCADC know of 13 Darfurian asylum seekers being held at Oakington Removal Centre and 3 of them have removal directions for Wednesday with British Airways to Sudan. We also know of a number being held at Manchester Airport and Colnbrook Short-Term Holding Centre.

Some people in campaigning and advocacy groups have the impression that the Home Office is cynically attempting to detain and deport as many Darfurians before the country guidance case judgment is handed down and the law goes against them.

What you can do to help:
1. If you are in contact with Darfurian asylum seekers in detention/community who are facing removal, NCADC suggest; they should seek legal advice as to; 'if it would be feasible to ask the Home Office to defer their removal pending the judgement in the 'HMGO' case being made available, and if the Home Office refuse, to consider seeking a Judicial Review'.

*** If the asylum seeker wants you to, help them contact their legal representative, if they have one, about the above information.

*** If they do not have a legal representative, give them the numbers for various legal advice lines, including:

Refugee Legal Centre general advice line: 020 7780 3220 - open from 10.30 am to 4.30 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, closed for lunch between 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm.

Refugee Legal Centre advice line for Detained Asylum Seekers: 0800 592398 - available from 10.30 am until 4.30 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The line is closed for lunch between 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm.

Immigration Advisory Service: go to the website page for nearest office to where the asylum seeker is detained - a number is given for any advice line service.
 http://www.iasuk.org/C2B/document_tree/ViewACategory.asp?CategoryID=10

Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants: 020 7251 8706 - available Tuesdays and Thursdays between 2.00pm and 5.00pm

*** Talk to the asylum seeker about them setting up their own anti-deportation campaign, and consider helping them to form their own campaign support group. Further info:
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/resources/index.htm

2. Fax British Airways urging them to not carry out forced removals to Sudan. You can print off the attached model fax Sundan.doc, or write and fax your own version.

British Airways Fax No: 020 8759 4314

Please notify  ncadc-north-west@ncadc.org.uk of any faxes sent.

Darfur: Europe's leaders respond to demands for action to stop the genocide
Europe's leaders toughened their stand against mass murder in Darfur yesterday, issuing new threats against the Sudanese government, as their own 50th birthday celebration summit was thrown off balance by the unprecedented appeal from Europe's leading writers for action.
Despite the scale of murder since the conflict began in 2003 - the US has described it as genocide - there has been no attempt to launch the kind of humanitarian intervention that saved civilian lives in Kosovo.

Full article: By Stephen Castle in Berlin, Published: 26 March 2007
 http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article2393302.ece

End of Bulletin:

Source for this Message:
The Independent
NCADC