to
be released immediately from detention and his deportation halted
Abdul is 23 years old,
lives in Leicester and is from Afghanistan, where he suffered terrible
persecution. His father was Russian and when Abdul was a
baby, his parents and all his family were murdered. Abdul was rescued from a deserted building by
a neighbour who brought him up. However,
when he was a teenager, the Taliban invaded his house and demanded he join them
or he would be shot. The neighbour hid
Abdul and later sold her house in order to raise the money to get him out of
Afghanistan and avoid further persecution.
When he came to England six years ago, Abdul was unable to pay for a
solicitor for his asylum claim. He was
also given an interpreter who did not understand his dialect of Dari. As a result, his asylum claim was handled
badly and, indeed, he was unable to even attend the hearing.
When his initial claim to stay here was refused, Abdul took to the
streets, living on free food and sleeping rough for over five years. He suffered terrible depression and
post-traumatic stress disorder. He lived
like this to avoid being sent back to Afghanistan where he feared further
persecution.
Abdul was found destitute by the Red Cross. He has a medical condition that would be untreatable
in Afghanistan and suffers from chronic post-traumatic stress syndrome to this
day. Abdul was granted Section 4
accommodation from the UK Border Agency (UKBA) while his medical case was
reviewed.
No longer living on the streets meant that Abdul could attend English
classes and he can now read and write in English. In fact, this is the only language he can
read and write in as he is illiterate in his original language. He has also become more involved in the local
community, helps out at Leicester City of Sanctuary based at Leicester Cathedral
(where he was previously interviewed by BBC Radio Leicester) and participates
in a local football team.
Abdul’s Section 4 accommodation ended during the first week of May 2013
when he was asked to submit a doctor’s letter explaining that he should
continue to be rehoused due to his medical needs. This letter was replied to by his doctor who
supported his need to be in accommodation based on his extreme post-traumatic
stress syndrome. Abdul’s solicitor is also in the process of submitting a fresh
asylum claim based on new evidence why he should stay in this country.
As part of his asylum requirement, Abdul regularly reported to the UKBA
reporting station in Loughborough. However,
while reporting to UKBA on Friday 10th May 2013, he was detained and
held at Loughborough police station. From
there, he was to be transferred to Morton Hall Detention Centre in Lincolnshire
to await his removal back to Afghanistan.
If Abdul is removed against his will and sent back to Afghanistan, he
will not be able to survive there. He
has no family in Afghanistan and he knows absolutely no one there who could
help him, although there are those who would definitely persecute him. Abdul has already suffered extreme persecution
because of his family background.
Meanwhile, Abdul continues to suffer with post-traumatic stress
syndrome and will not get the medical treatment he needs in Afghanistan. His current detention will only exacerbate his
condition.
Abdul has touched the hearts of everyone who knows him. He has been trying to rebuild his life in a
meaningful way, is willing to help others and plays a positive role in our
local community.
We ask that he be released immediately from detention pending his
asylum claim.
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