Stop Taranjit & Hussain being forced back to Afghanistan
UNITY | 30.11.2008 16:28 | Anti-racism | Migration
Taranjit Bajaj and Hussain Ali Khairkoh are two Afghani men in detention that the Home Office intends to forcibly remove to Kabul on Tuesday 2nd December on a private "Ethnic Charter flight" from an unknown airport as part of "Operation Ravel". Both men are members of religious minorities in Afghanistan that have been subject to persecution in the past. They both need your help. Please take action as soon as you can to help them.
Taranjit Bajaj at a Unity protest
Please help Taranjit Bajaj and Hussain Ali Khairkoh
Both men are from Glasgow and are due to be forcibly removed to Afghanistan on a special charter flight by the Home Office on Tuesday 2nd December.
Please help Taranjit Bajaj
Taranjit Bajaj is a 27 year old Sikh man who originally fled Afghanistan with his family in 2003.
In Afghanistan his father owned business selling tyres and car parts. When the Taliban where still in power, Sikhs in Afghanistan faced many problems, Sikh temples were seized and used as military bases and Sikhs and Hindus were forced to wear yellow patches on their clothes to highlight that they were not Muslim. In Afghanistan, his dad faced repeated threats and extortion. His father’s business was seized by the Taliban and Taranjit’s eldest brother, Ratan, was kidnapped and killed by the Taliban. In 2002 Taranjit, his mum and dad, a sister, and two brothers fled the country. Since then his sister has married and has since then received leave to remain and lives in London.
In January 2006, another of Taranjit’s brothers Joginder, aged 26, was forcibly returned to Afghanistan by the Home Office and his family have deep fears that he has been kidnapped and killed because they have not heard anything from him since then.
Despite evidence that two of Taranjit’s brothers have disappeared and may have been kidnapped and killed because they belong to a religious minority that have had a history of being persecuted in Afghanistan, the Home Office still want to remove Taranjit as well.
In Taranjit’s initial case, the judge decided that nothing sinister could be inferred from the fact that the family had heard nothing from his brother Joginder since he’d been forcibly returned to Afghanistan. In April 2007, Taranjit lodged fresh evidence from Afghanistan from the Director of the National Council of Afghanistan stating that his brother had been kidnapped and was still missing. Twenty months later, after he was detained on Friday, Taranjit was given a refusal letter for his lawyer stating that “even if the letter [from the Director] is genuine this is not conclusive proof that your client cannot return to Afghanistan.”
Taranjit’s dad, Karter Singh, who is 63 and disabled due to a severely curved spine, is also fighting to stay in the UK with Taranjit’s mum, Dalel Kaur, and youngest brother Saman who still lives with them. Taranjit is fighting his own asylum case after his dad and mum were forced to claim Section 4 support to stop being made homeless (despite his disability) in 2006.
As a result after he was detained when reporting at the Home Office at 4.30 on a Friday evening Taranjit’s mum and dad couldn’t get to visit him as he did not get into the Dungavel detention centre until the very end of visiting hours. This made it impossible for his family or any of his many friends in Glasgow to see him on Friday evening. Then at 8.30 on the Saturday morning he was rushed away from Dungavel to a holding centre at Manchester Airport so his parents have not even had the chance to go and visit him at the detention centre. He’s now been told he’s being moved to Tinsley House on Sunday.
We also think it’s possible that there has been a mix up with Taranjit’s case as the Home Office claim that in August 2006 Taranjit, a single man, claimed to have a wife and child in the UK as dependents.
Before he was detained Taranjit had been studying TV Production at Stow College where he had made many new friends and had made documentaries on ‘Climate Change’ among other things. His lawyer made an application for the ‘Legacy’ Case Resolution process in November 2006 but since then has heard nothing.
Taranjit has no family in Afghanistan and so will not be able to depend on the social and family networks most Afghani’s use to support themselves. As a member of a small religious minority he will also face severe problems.
Please take urgent action to help Taranjit. More details of what you can do are below
Please help Hussain as well
Hussain Ali Khairkhoh is a twenty six year old Afghani who has recently converted to Christianity following many problems in Afghanistan. A member of the Hazara minority Hussain came to the UK in June this year after converting to Christianity. He had not been baptized in Afghanistan but after joining the Glasgow Iranian Church where several of the ministers spoke Farsi and attending many of their classes, Hussain was baptized in October this year.
Christians in Afghanistan face persecution especially those converting from Islam as this is considered apostasy and is punishable by death.
Hussain had his case refused because at the time of his interview he had not been baptized however since then, following a period of study imposed by the Iranian Church to ensure that people undergoing baptism are genuine believers.
In the Home Office’s own Country Guidance notes it states:
“UNHCR’s Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Afghan Asylum-Seekers, published December 2007 stated that: “Afghans suspected or accused of having converted from Islam to Christianity or other faiths risk persecution. The risk emanates from family and/or tribe members as well as the broader community. Severe punishment within the legal system is also possible for those who do not recant their conversion.”
It goes on to say: “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office noted in a letter dated 17 March 2008 noted that practising Christiananity in Afghanistan is considered extremely dangerous and is not discussed openly. However, in Kabul there may be small pockets of Afghan Christians who risk worshiping together in secret places.”
“The FCO further noted that Christianity is still not accepted. Christians are regularly discriminated against and face verbal and physical abuse from the authorities, former friends and also family members. Authorities do not generally investigate allegations of harassment or ill-treatment or bring those responsible to justice.”
“The US State Department (USSD) Report on Religious Freedom 2007, published on 14 September 2007, recorded that “’Conversion from Islam is considered apostasy and is punishable by death under some interpretations of Shari’a. As in the case of blasphemy, an Afghan citizen who has converted from Islam (if a male over age 18 or a female over age 16, who is of sound mind) has three days to recant his or her conversion and is otherwise subject to death by hanging.”
One of the Farsi speaking ministers at the Iranian Church has signed a statement regarding Hussain’s baptism.
Please do what you can to help Hussain.
Both Taranjit and Hussain have been given removal directions for a flight number PVT 008 and PVT 0085 to Kabul (via Baku) at 18.50 hours on Tuesday 2nd December.
As members of religious minorities they are both in great danger if returned to Afghanistan a country where it is generally agreed that 2007 and 2008 have been the most violent years since the US led invasion.
Afghanistan is getting worse:
According to Washington-based Brookings Institution and the Centre for Global Development, Afghanistan is rated the second weakest state in the world, lacking the capacity to establish and maintain political institutions, secure their population from violent conflict, control their territories and meet the basic needs of their population.
Human Rights Watch World Report for 2007
Life for the average Afghan remains short, miserable, and brutal. Average life span for men and women hovers at around 45 years. According to the United Nations, nearly a third of all Afghans, some 6.5 million people, suffer from chronic food insecurity. Afghans face escalating violations of their human rights at the hands of a variety of abusers: the Taliban and other anti-government insurgent groups, including Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Hezb-e Islami and tribal militias, criminal groups and local warlords (many with government affiliations), and, increasingly, the Afghan government itself. The insurgency in the south undermines development and reconstruction in the comparatively peaceful north, and as predicted, destabilizes neighboring Pakistan. The United Nations’ assessment of areas considered “most dangerous” and thus out of bounds for nearly all aid workers doubled in 2007 to cover one-third of Afghanistan.
Violence and Insecurity in 2007 was a bloodier year than any since the US-led forces ousted the Taliban in 2001. Casualty rates were at least 25 percent higher than the previous year. Civilians were increasingly caught in fighting between anti-government forces and government forces and their international supporters. Anti-government forces also routinely violate the laws of war by launching attacks from civilian areas, or
The Taliban increasingly relied on public executions to terrorize and rule populations living in areas under their influence.
The Afghan government continues to lose public legitimacy because of wide-spread corruption, failure to improve living standards, and lack of progress in establishing the rule of law even in areas under its control.
Afghanistan mission close to failing – US
After six years of US-led military support and billions of pounds in aid, security in Afghanistan is "deteriorating" and President Hamid Karzai's government controls less than a third of the country, America's top intelligence official has admitted. Mike McConnell testified in Washington that Karzai controls about 30% of Afghanistan and the Taliban 10%, and the remainder is under tribal control.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/29/afghanistan.terrorism
What can you do?
Fax the Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, MP, Secretary of State for the Home Office asking that Taranjit and Hussain be allowed to stay in the UK, please remember to include their Home Office Reference Numbers:
B1144397 for Taranjit
K1282466 for Hussain
Fax 020 7035 4745 / from outside UK+44 207 035 4745
We hope to get more details about the flight soon.
The UNITY Centre
30 Ibrox Street
Glasgow
G51 1AQ
0141 427 7992
www.unitycentreglasgow.org
Both men are from Glasgow and are due to be forcibly removed to Afghanistan on a special charter flight by the Home Office on Tuesday 2nd December.
Please help Taranjit Bajaj
Taranjit Bajaj is a 27 year old Sikh man who originally fled Afghanistan with his family in 2003.
In Afghanistan his father owned business selling tyres and car parts. When the Taliban where still in power, Sikhs in Afghanistan faced many problems, Sikh temples were seized and used as military bases and Sikhs and Hindus were forced to wear yellow patches on their clothes to highlight that they were not Muslim. In Afghanistan, his dad faced repeated threats and extortion. His father’s business was seized by the Taliban and Taranjit’s eldest brother, Ratan, was kidnapped and killed by the Taliban. In 2002 Taranjit, his mum and dad, a sister, and two brothers fled the country. Since then his sister has married and has since then received leave to remain and lives in London.
In January 2006, another of Taranjit’s brothers Joginder, aged 26, was forcibly returned to Afghanistan by the Home Office and his family have deep fears that he has been kidnapped and killed because they have not heard anything from him since then.
Despite evidence that two of Taranjit’s brothers have disappeared and may have been kidnapped and killed because they belong to a religious minority that have had a history of being persecuted in Afghanistan, the Home Office still want to remove Taranjit as well.
In Taranjit’s initial case, the judge decided that nothing sinister could be inferred from the fact that the family had heard nothing from his brother Joginder since he’d been forcibly returned to Afghanistan. In April 2007, Taranjit lodged fresh evidence from Afghanistan from the Director of the National Council of Afghanistan stating that his brother had been kidnapped and was still missing. Twenty months later, after he was detained on Friday, Taranjit was given a refusal letter for his lawyer stating that “even if the letter [from the Director] is genuine this is not conclusive proof that your client cannot return to Afghanistan.”
Taranjit’s dad, Karter Singh, who is 63 and disabled due to a severely curved spine, is also fighting to stay in the UK with Taranjit’s mum, Dalel Kaur, and youngest brother Saman who still lives with them. Taranjit is fighting his own asylum case after his dad and mum were forced to claim Section 4 support to stop being made homeless (despite his disability) in 2006.
As a result after he was detained when reporting at the Home Office at 4.30 on a Friday evening Taranjit’s mum and dad couldn’t get to visit him as he did not get into the Dungavel detention centre until the very end of visiting hours. This made it impossible for his family or any of his many friends in Glasgow to see him on Friday evening. Then at 8.30 on the Saturday morning he was rushed away from Dungavel to a holding centre at Manchester Airport so his parents have not even had the chance to go and visit him at the detention centre. He’s now been told he’s being moved to Tinsley House on Sunday.
We also think it’s possible that there has been a mix up with Taranjit’s case as the Home Office claim that in August 2006 Taranjit, a single man, claimed to have a wife and child in the UK as dependents.
Before he was detained Taranjit had been studying TV Production at Stow College where he had made many new friends and had made documentaries on ‘Climate Change’ among other things. His lawyer made an application for the ‘Legacy’ Case Resolution process in November 2006 but since then has heard nothing.
Taranjit has no family in Afghanistan and so will not be able to depend on the social and family networks most Afghani’s use to support themselves. As a member of a small religious minority he will also face severe problems.
Please take urgent action to help Taranjit. More details of what you can do are below
Please help Hussain as well
Hussain Ali Khairkhoh is a twenty six year old Afghani who has recently converted to Christianity following many problems in Afghanistan. A member of the Hazara minority Hussain came to the UK in June this year after converting to Christianity. He had not been baptized in Afghanistan but after joining the Glasgow Iranian Church where several of the ministers spoke Farsi and attending many of their classes, Hussain was baptized in October this year.
Christians in Afghanistan face persecution especially those converting from Islam as this is considered apostasy and is punishable by death.
Hussain had his case refused because at the time of his interview he had not been baptized however since then, following a period of study imposed by the Iranian Church to ensure that people undergoing baptism are genuine believers.
In the Home Office’s own Country Guidance notes it states:
“UNHCR’s Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Afghan Asylum-Seekers, published December 2007 stated that: “Afghans suspected or accused of having converted from Islam to Christianity or other faiths risk persecution. The risk emanates from family and/or tribe members as well as the broader community. Severe punishment within the legal system is also possible for those who do not recant their conversion.”
It goes on to say: “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office noted in a letter dated 17 March 2008 noted that practising Christiananity in Afghanistan is considered extremely dangerous and is not discussed openly. However, in Kabul there may be small pockets of Afghan Christians who risk worshiping together in secret places.”
“The FCO further noted that Christianity is still not accepted. Christians are regularly discriminated against and face verbal and physical abuse from the authorities, former friends and also family members. Authorities do not generally investigate allegations of harassment or ill-treatment or bring those responsible to justice.”
“The US State Department (USSD) Report on Religious Freedom 2007, published on 14 September 2007, recorded that “’Conversion from Islam is considered apostasy and is punishable by death under some interpretations of Shari’a. As in the case of blasphemy, an Afghan citizen who has converted from Islam (if a male over age 18 or a female over age 16, who is of sound mind) has three days to recant his or her conversion and is otherwise subject to death by hanging.”
One of the Farsi speaking ministers at the Iranian Church has signed a statement regarding Hussain’s baptism.
Please do what you can to help Hussain.
Both Taranjit and Hussain have been given removal directions for a flight number PVT 008 and PVT 0085 to Kabul (via Baku) at 18.50 hours on Tuesday 2nd December.
As members of religious minorities they are both in great danger if returned to Afghanistan a country where it is generally agreed that 2007 and 2008 have been the most violent years since the US led invasion.
Afghanistan is getting worse:
According to Washington-based Brookings Institution and the Centre for Global Development, Afghanistan is rated the second weakest state in the world, lacking the capacity to establish and maintain political institutions, secure their population from violent conflict, control their territories and meet the basic needs of their population.
Human Rights Watch World Report for 2007
Life for the average Afghan remains short, miserable, and brutal. Average life span for men and women hovers at around 45 years. According to the United Nations, nearly a third of all Afghans, some 6.5 million people, suffer from chronic food insecurity. Afghans face escalating violations of their human rights at the hands of a variety of abusers: the Taliban and other anti-government insurgent groups, including Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Hezb-e Islami and tribal militias, criminal groups and local warlords (many with government affiliations), and, increasingly, the Afghan government itself. The insurgency in the south undermines development and reconstruction in the comparatively peaceful north, and as predicted, destabilizes neighboring Pakistan. The United Nations’ assessment of areas considered “most dangerous” and thus out of bounds for nearly all aid workers doubled in 2007 to cover one-third of Afghanistan.
Violence and Insecurity in 2007 was a bloodier year than any since the US-led forces ousted the Taliban in 2001. Casualty rates were at least 25 percent higher than the previous year. Civilians were increasingly caught in fighting between anti-government forces and government forces and their international supporters. Anti-government forces also routinely violate the laws of war by launching attacks from civilian areas, or
The Taliban increasingly relied on public executions to terrorize and rule populations living in areas under their influence.
The Afghan government continues to lose public legitimacy because of wide-spread corruption, failure to improve living standards, and lack of progress in establishing the rule of law even in areas under its control.
Afghanistan mission close to failing – US
After six years of US-led military support and billions of pounds in aid, security in Afghanistan is "deteriorating" and President Hamid Karzai's government controls less than a third of the country, America's top intelligence official has admitted. Mike McConnell testified in Washington that Karzai controls about 30% of Afghanistan and the Taliban 10%, and the remainder is under tribal control.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/29/afghanistan.terrorism What can you do?
Fax the Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, MP, Secretary of State for the Home Office asking that Taranjit and Hussain be allowed to stay in the UK, please remember to include their Home Office Reference Numbers:
B1144397 for Taranjit
K1282466 for Hussain
Fax 020 7035 4745 / from outside UK+44 207 035 4745
We hope to get more details about the flight soon.
The UNITY Centre
30 Ibrox Street
Glasgow
G51 1AQ
0141 427 7992
www.unitycentreglasgow.org
UNITY