Family One is Oluwakemi Abimbola ('Kem') and her son Abdul
Ho Ref: W1092536

Oluwakemi Abimbola (Kem) and her son Abdulrahim, who is nearly 2, have now been give removal directions for Friday 26th January at 22.00 from Heathrow Airport on Virgin Atlantic Flight VS651 to Nigeria.

Yesterday at 10am, Kem went to report as usual at the Home Office in Glasgow and was told to go back home and bring her son with her. She informed officials that her son was unwell but they demanded that she return with him as soon as possible. At 1pm on her return with her son, she was detained by immigration officials. 10 Immigration officials forced her and her young son into a van and she was taken to Dungavel IRC.

On arrival at Dungavel she informed the doctor there that she had no medication for her son who has sickel cell anemia and that he was already unwell. They said they had no medication available for him. Due to Abdulrahim's condition he is required to take medication every morning and evening. He has now missed his medicine twice.
During all this upset Abdulrahim soiled himself, and Kem had to wash all his clothes in the sink. Abdulrahim was left with no clothes for more than an hour and Kem said he was cold and shivering. She is extremely worried about not having his medication. Kem herself suffers from depression.

Kem came to the UK in April 2004 to escape persecution and make a life for herself.

On the 23rd December 2001, Kem and her mother and father had to flee Nigeria to the Republic of Benin to escape persecution. Kem's father was a Christian and her mother a Muslim and they were warned that this was unacceptable by her mothers family who included high ranking Imans. Kem's father then converted to Islam but still they were harrassed and threatened, sometimes by high ranking government officials who supported her mothers family. This is when the family fled to the Republic of Benin.

After 2 years of hiding in Benin, authorities from Nigeria found them and Kem's parents were shot and killed in front of her and she was told they would be back for her. Kem was left without anyone and extremely frightened and vulnerable, this is when she made her way to the UK seeking sanctuary.

On arrival in London, knowing no one, she had to sleep at bus stations and rely on donations of food until she was approached by a man who said he was a pastor from Nigeria and that he would help her. He took her to his house where she was kept a virtual prisoner and had to cook and clean for him, he regularly abused her. When Kem became pregnant by him he kicked her out and told her never to come back again or he would hurt her. This is when she made her way to Glasgow to try and make a life for herself and her unborn baby and to claim asylum.

Kem and her son should not be treated in this hummiliating and degrading way. Kem has been through enough and has tried her best to make a life for herself and her son in Glasgow, where she has made friendships and a support network.

If returned to Nigeria, Kem and her son not only face persecution for the religions of her parents but the fact that she is now an umarried mother. On top of this treatment for sickel cell is very expensive, Kem has no family left in Nigeria and therefore no support network or means to get the medicine that Abdulrahim needs.

In addition to this Nigeria is a very high risk malaria country, Kem has now lost any natural resistance that she might have had and Abdulrahim, having never been to Africa certainly has no natural resistance to cope with this. Every year 2 million of people die from Malaria (W.H.O figures). Why does the Home Office think that is is ok to send people to high risk malaria countries without first following proper medical procedures? What chance does a 2 year old with ill health have in sub saharan africa with no anti-malaria protection?

Please support Kem and Abdulrahim, they need your help now.

What you can do
Fax Liam Byrne, Minister for State for Nationality, Citizenship & Immigration asking that Kem and Abdulrahim be allowed to remain in the UK and live in peace and safety.
Please ensure the Home Office reference number is included - Oluwakemi Abimbola Ho Ref: W1092536
Fax: 020 7035 4745 from outside the UK + 44 20 7035 4745
Liam Byrne
Minister for State for Nationality, Citizenship & Immigration
3rd Floor
Peel Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

Also fax Virgin Atlantic Airlines asking that they not participate in the removal of this young woman and her child.
Virgin Atlantic Flight VS651 to Nigeria from Heathrow on Friday 26th January at 22.00
Customer Relations Fax : 08701 900959
Customer.relations (at) fly.virgin.com

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FAMILY TWO is the Can family, whose father Cenghiz is in Dungavel Detention Centre.

Please help Cenghiz
Home Office reference C1140964

Cengiz Can currently in Dungavel has been given removal directions for Friday 26th January at 13.30, Turkish Airlines flight number TK1996 from Manchester Airport to Istanbul

Cengiz, his wife, Gultan, and 3 children were detained on the 4th of December in a dawn raid in Red Road, Glasgow and taken to Dungavel. For some unexplained reason his wife and 3 young sons Ferhat (8), Vadat (6) and Sorhat (3) were released from detention on the 13th of December but Cengiz was kept in detention where he is still being held.

Cenghiz’s family are still living in Glasgow and are terrified that he will be returned to Turkey. It is unbelievable that the Home Office are have decided to split this family apart.

The family are Turkish Kurds and a warrant for Cengiz Can's arrest has been issued in Turkey for his involvement with HADEP, a democratic nonviolent Kurdish political party, that has been persecuted in the past by the Turkish authorities because it campaigns for an independent Kurdish state and Turkey claims it has connections to the PKK. The Turkish government has a terrible human rights record, particularly against the Kurdish population (see below).

We're asking people to support Cengiz Can by sending a fax to Liam Byrne and Turkish Airlines below, protesting against his removal and seperation from his wife and children. Cengiz Can will face imprisonment and possible torture on his arrival in Turkey.

“During the first 8 months of the year 2006, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)
delivered 196 final judgements finding that Turkey had violated at least one article of the
European Convention of Human Rights. From 1st September 2005 until 31 August 2006 2 100 new applications regarding Turkey were made to the ECtHR. More than 2/3 of the applications introduced to the ECtHR refer to the right to a fair trial (Article 6) and protection of property rights (Article 1 of Protocol No 1). The right to life (Article 2) and the prohibition of torture (Article 3) are referred to in 78 and 142 cases respectively…

The [Turkish] Parliamentary Human Rights Committee continued to play an active role in collecting complaints on human rights violations and conducting fact-finding visits to the regions. The Committee received 864 applications between October 2005 and June 2006…

The human rights situation in the Southeast raises particular concerns following the violent
disturbances that took place in several cities in March and April (see section on the
Southeast). Over 550 people were detained as a result of these events, including over 200
children. The Diyarbakir Bar Association submitted more than 70 complaints of ill-treatment
to the authorities. Subsequently, investigations were launched into 39 of these claims…

Cases of torture and ill-treatment are still being reported, in particular outside detention centres.”
Source: Commission of European Communities Turkey 2006 Progress Report {COM(2006) 649 final}

Also under Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights, Britain has an obligation to actively secure an individual’s right to a private and family life.

By removing Cenghiz the Home Office are breaking Cenghiz’s and Gultan’s family apart denying them and their children their right under Article 8 to a family life.

URGENT ACTION:
Please fax Liam Byrne at the Home Office asking him to cancel the removal on the grounds that it will break the Can family apart and prevent Cenghiz, Gultan and their children from enjoying a proper family life and because Cenghiz faces a real possibility of being imprisoned and tortured.

- Minister of State, Home Office, Liam Byrne, Fax: 020 7035 4745 from outside the UK + 20 7035 4745. Please remember to quote Home Office reference number C1140964

Please fax Turkish Airlines telling them that Cenghiz is being taken against his will and faces real danger if he is returned to Turkey. Friday 26th January at 13.30, Turkish Airlines flight number TK1996 from Manchester Airport to Istanbul
Tel: 0207-766 93 00; Fax 0207-976 17 38/33 e-mail: info (at) turkish-airlines.co.uk
Or in Manchester airport; Tel: 0161-4895290; Fax: 0161-4895291; email: sales (at) thymanchester.co.uk