Belal Amleh came to the UK from Palestine to seek asylum after suffering months of torture in an Israeli prison. He has now been resident in Halifax for two and a half years and is in a committed relationship with a British woman, with whom he has been living and has been financially supported by for several months. On Wednesday 24th November, he was arrested by the home office in Leeds whilst fulfilling his legal requirement to sign in (despite receiving no financial support from the government) and taken immediately to a detention centre in Middlesex without any of his personal belongings.

The Home Office intends to deport Belal to Jordan, a country that he is not a citizen of, on Tuesday 30th November. Once there, they will try to take him over the border into Palestine and hand him to the authorities. Not only does Belal not have the required documentation to re-enter Palestine, but it is likely that if he does, he will be arrested immediately by the Israeli authorities, imprisoned and tortured. He is also under threat from Hamas, who have deemed him a traitor and spy after his refusal to join their armed forces. Hamas have repeatedly approached Belal’s family in order to locate him.

Belal was imprisoned and tortured when he was just 18 years old because he refused to inform on his own family and neighbours to the Israeli army. During his months in prison he was handcuffed in a freezing cold cell, repeatedly beaten with batons and gun butts and had both of his feet broken. The details of this torture were medically documented in his lengthy asylum appeal and he was booked in for surgery in the UK in March next year to correct the damage done to his feet. His appeal was rejected on the grounds that he could not prove that if he returned to Palestine he would be tortured or murdered.

All Belal wants is the opportunity to have a normal life, to be able to work and support himself, carry on his relationship with his girlfriend, receive medical care for his injuries and continue being an active participant in his community. If Belal is deported, he will either be returned to Palestine where he is likely to be imprisoned, tortured or killed or alternatively be sent on the first flight back to England. Friends and family of Belal are now desperately looking for ways to prevent him from being deported on Tuesday and are in grave fear for his safety.

For more info check out
“Coming together to support Belal Amleh” on Facebook
follow the campaign on twitter at  http://belalamleh.blogspot.com/2010/11/weve-only-got-until-tuesday.html
or email Kath at  kurlykathb@yahoo.co.uk

You can help in the following ways:
Contact the following people either in writing, by email phone or fax (or all of them if you are feeling motivated!) Always put your name, address and preferably a contact telephone number on the letter, also Belal’s full name, which is Belal SS Amleh and his home office reference number A1374096. It works better if you write something rather eyeryone all signing a mass produced letter, but you may want to include the following information.
1) Belal has already been tortured in Palestine, which has been medically evidenced.
2) He has a basic human right to live without fear of imprisonment, torture or death and will be in extreme danger if returned to Palestine.
3) He has complied with all of the legal requirements set by the Home Office in the UK.
4) He was arrested and moved away from his home and partner with no forewarning or any of his belongings.
5) He is officially stateless.
6) He is being deported to a country that he is not a citizen of.
7) Both Belal and his British girlfriend have the right to a relationship and family life.
8) It is a distinct possibility that Belal will be refused entry into Jordan.
9) He doesn’t have the appropriate documentation to be readmitted into the West Bank.
10) He is an active and well loved member of the community and would like nothing more than to be able to support himself and his partner.

Theresa May (Home Secretary)
Tel 020 72195206
Fax 020 72191145
Email  mayt@parliament.uk or  public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Peter Wakenier (HEO at the Third Country Unit)
Higher Executive Officer
Third Country Unit
Home Office UK Border Agency
Tel 020 81964282
Fax 020 81964228

Linda Riordan (Halifax Ward MP)
Email-  riordanl@parliament.uk with a copy to Jago Parker at  parkerj@parliament.uk
You can also find your own MP’s contact email address at www.writetothem.com

Contact Royal Jordanian Airlines
Tel London office- 0207 8786333
Heathrow- 0208 8978319
Fax- 0208 74885251
Address- fao Sonia Leite 32 Brook St, London, W1K 5DL
Quote flight ref RJ112 on 30th November 2010, explain Belal’s circumstances and let them know that they will be returning a fellow muslim to a dangerous if not life threatening situation. There have been cases where airlines have refused to take passengers.