Two weeks ago the Temal family were 'dawn raided' in their flat in Kennishead, Glasgow, by 12 police and Immigration Enforcement officers wearing body armour at 7am in the morning.

After being woken by having their front door broken open with a battering ram, Servat and Sarkine were seized and held in seperate rooms from each other and their children, Mozon, Cekdar and Rodi (aged 7,4 & 2.) Held by three or four police officers, they were not allowed to pack - immigration officers did this for them and the young children were not allowed to have any breakfast.

There then followed a nightmare journey lasting over 16 hours. After being taken to the Home Office Immigration Centre at Brand Street for two hours where they were searched, processed, photographed and fingerprinted, the family were taken by Home Office van with blacked out windows to England.

The family first went to Manchester Airport (where they were searched again) and then to Yarls Wood Detention Centre close to Heathrow arriving at 11.30pm, during which time the family were not allowed to contact anyone. The children were only allowed to use toilets three times - once in an army base and twice at police stations along the route. At one police station the family were made to walk a gauntlet of about 20 police officers standing either side of the corridor.

At Yarls Wood, Sarkine became extremely distressed but was not allowed to have her medicine from her property. At one point she collapsed at 9.30 in the morning and was told she could see the medical officer at 6.30 that evening.

Servat and his wife are Kurdish and were active in Hadep, a legal, pro-Kurdish party in Turkey that has had its headquarters repeatedly ransacked amd its members imprisoned, beaten and tortured. Both Servat and two of his brothers had been jailed for three years by the Turkish authorities for their political activity.

Last week the family were due to be removed to Germany where they had originally sought asylum until discovering their Servat's brother had been given British citizenship and was living in Scotland.

The family however had been detained due to Home Office incompetence as Sarkine's case for asylum in the UK was still ongoing. The family were released from detention and returned safely to Glasgow thanks to the actions of their lawyer and supporters at the Unity Centre and across the UK.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Temal family are just one of many families helped by the Unity Centre since it opened in March this year. The Unity Centre is run completly by volunteers from both Scottish and asylum seeker communities. It does not recieve any funding apart from donations from supporters.

We are appealing for donations at the moment. If you wish to support the Unity centre finacially please send donations to us at the address below or make out a standing order to pay us a regular donation every month.

UNITY CENTRE STANDING ORDER FORM:

To the Bank Manager,
Your bank ………………………………….....
Your bank’s address …………………………………
………………………………………………...
Post-code…………………………

I would like to make a regular donation to the UNITY Centre from my account.

Your Account Number……………………..
Your Sort Code………………………

Please credit the Unity Centre account number 65206386 at The Co-Operative Bank
(08-92-99) with £ ............ every month / quarter / year (please delete) starting on ......................... …….2006 and continuing until further notice.

Signature........................................
Date......................

First Name................. Surname...............................
Address...............................................................…………………………………
Postcode..........................

(Please complete and send to your bank. This standing order can be cancelled at any time by informing your bank.)

Many thanks

The UNITY Centre
30 Ibrox Street
Glasgow
G51 1QA

0141 427 7992
theunitycentre [at] btconnect.com