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Another attempt to remove, Kemi, Taiwo & Yasmin

John O | 07.07.2008 08:51 | Migration | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements

The family are currently detained in Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre and due to be forcibly removed from the UK to Nigeria on Tuesday 8th July on Virgin Nigeria Airways flight VK292 from Gatwick to Lagos at 10.15hrs. This will be the second attempt to remove the family.

Kemi Ayinde is 24 years old woman from Nigeria who was trafficked to the UK seven years ago. She was forced to work in London as a prostitute and was told that she would have to work as a prostitute for 3-4 years in order to pay for being brought to the UK. She was not allowed to leave the house that she was forced to work at. Kemi managed to escape from the house in 2004 and became street homeless.

"Virgin Nigeria's role in Kemi and his family's pending deportation directly contradicts their work with 'Stop the Traffik'.

'Stop the Traffik' is a global coalition movement against the trafficking of people. The Coalition consists of over 1,000 organisations including Virgin Unite (*Member of the Steering Group of 'Stop the Traffik), the independent charitable arm of the Virgin Group that owns Virgin Nigeria.

"It is fundamentally hypocritical of the Virgin Group to support a charity that is there to defend and support victims of trafficking, while at the same time potentially playing such a key role in sending a direct victim of trafficking back to a country where she faces the very real prospect of retribution from those that trafficked her in the first place and the real possibility of being trafficked again." No Borders South Wales

On Tuesday 1st July, British Airways refused to allow the family to fly due to Kemi's health condition, which included high blood pressure. There has been great support for the family demonstrated both at local level, from their community in Cardiff, and nationwide with much media interest. Supporters who believe the family should not be deported include the Leader and Deputy Leader of Cardiff County Council and Welsh Government Minister Leanne Wood.

Sanctuary for Kemi Ayinde, Taiwo Salami, and Yasmin Salami
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/archives/filed%20newszines/Newszine95/KemiAyinde.html

No Borders South Wales has rallied round the Cardiff community to support the family.

What you can do to help

All day to day Monday 7th July and tomorrow morning

1) Fax/Email/phone, Conrad Clifford, CEO, Virgin Nigeria, asking him not to carry the family back to Nigeria. A model letter (Kemi-2ndremovalVN.doc) is attached, which you can copy/amend/write your own. Remember to include these details; due to be forcibly removed from the UK to Nigeria on Tuesday 8th July on Virgin Nigeria Airways flight VK292 from Gatwick to Lagos at 10.15hrs. This will be the second attempt to remove the family, British Airways have already refused to carry Kemi & her family.

Fax: 01293 448035 from outside the UK + 44 1293 448035
Email:  customer.relations@virginnigeria.com
Phone 0844 412 1788

2) Please send urgent faxes/Emails immediately to, Rt. Hon. Jacqui Smith, Secretary of State for the Home Office. Please use the attached model letter Kemi AyindeJSdoc which you can copy/amend/write your own version; if you do so, please remember to include the HO Ref S1387236.

Fax: 020 7035 0900 from outside the UK +44 20 7035 0900
Email:  Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Please notify the campaign of any faxes/letters sent:

Sanctuary for Kemi, Taiwo and Yasmin Salami
C/o No Borders South Wales
 noborderswales@riseup.net
 http://www.noborderswales.org.uk/

End of Bulletin:

Source for this Message:
No Borders South Wales

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