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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=nimda.wil@tiscali.co.uk href="mailto:nimda.wil@tiscali.co.uk">Nimda</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=faf@lists.riseup.net
href="mailto:faf@lists.riseup.net">FAFList</A> ; <A
title=ukfeministaction@yahoogroups.co.uk
href="mailto:ukfeministaction@yahoogroups.co.uk">ukfeministaction@yahoogroups.co.uk</A>
; <A title=ReSisters@yahoogroups.co.uk
href="mailto:ReSisters@yahoogroups.co.uk">ReSisters@yahoogroups.co.uk</A> ; <A
title=londonfeministnetwork@yahoogroups.co.uk
href="mailto:londonfeministnetwork@yahoogroups.co.uk">londonfeministnetwork@yahoogroups.co.uk</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, May 18, 2010 4:51 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> [faf] Fwd: Press Statement regarding child detention and
incarceration of Sehar Shabaz and her 8 month old baby daughter Wania at
Dungavel Removal Centre, Scotland.</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Begin forwarded message:
<BR> <!--[endif]--><O:P></O:P> <BR>From: Positive Action in Housing
<A class=moz-txt-link-rfc2396E
href="mailto:home@paih.org>"><home@paih.org></A> <O:P></O:P><BR>Date: Tue
May 18, 2010<SPAN> </SPAN>4:16:40 PM Europe/London <O:P></O:P><BR>Subject:
Press Statement regarding child detention and incarceration of Sehar Shabaz and
her 8 month old baby daughter Wania at Dungavel Removal Centre, Scotland.
<O:P></O:P><BR><!--[if
!supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><O:P></O:P> <BR><B>Press
Statement regarding child detention and incarceration of Sehar Shabaz and her 8
month old baby daughter Wania at Dungavel Removal Centre, Scotland.</B>
<O:P></O:P><BR><SPAN> </SPAN><O:P></O:P><BR><SPAN></SPAN>Speaking this
afternoon from Dungavel Removal Centre, 25 year old Sehar Shabaz, who is
currently locked up in Dungavel Removal Centre with her eight month old baby,
said: <O:P></O:P><BR><SPAN> </SPAN><O:P></O:P><BR>“I have been living in
the UK for three years. I was forced into marriage in Blackburn, England. My
husband was often drunk, violent and threatened to kill me. He forced himself
upon me sexually. On several occasions, he kept me locked in the house for days
at a time before returning. After some months, I attended my husband’s sister’s
wedding in Pakistan. On this occasion, I begged my family to take me back.
However they could not support me. I cannot forgive my family for this. In May
2009, my daughter was born and I could take it no more. I had no money and was
worried he would kill me. I called the police when he became violent but they
referred me to the Social Work Department in Blackburn.<SPAN> </SPAN>I
spoke to the Social Work and asked them for refuge accommodation and they said
they could not provide me accommodation because I was not a British Citizen.
They suggested that I go to the Refugee Council. I left in December 2009 and
came to Glasgow. Some people helped me to come to Glasgow and I went to the
Scottish Refugee Council and told them everything. Social work in Glasgow put me
into homeless accommodation and I was assisted to make an asylum application. My
husband followed me to in Glasgow and I was given help to move elsewhere. It is
impossible for me to return to Pakistan.<SPAN> </SPAN>My in-laws are
harassing my family and claiming that I am a fallen women who has run off with
another man. This couldn’t be further from the truth. This is the system I would
be returning to if they deport me. They won’t spare me, it’s not a small issue
if a girl runs away from her husband or in-laws. Our only value in Pakistan now
is if I am dead. <O:P></O:P><BR><SPAN> </SPAN><O:P></O:P><BR>“Yesterday
morning, I went to report to Brand Street Reporting Centre<SPAN>
</SPAN>where I report every two weeks. I have never absconded or missed my
reporting visits. I was told to attend with my baby. When I arrived the Brand
Street reporting centre officials told me I was being detained. I told them I
wass signing every two weeks and I am continually running from a very bad
situation, why are you detaining me? They said to me “This is what we have
decided”. I said I have a small baby and I have none of her clothes or baby
things. They said that was not their problem and I was put into the back of a
van and after an hour my baby and I were taken to Dungavel. I just could not
stop crying. She was due for medical treatment today and despite giving them a
medical letter at the detention centre for my daughter they insisted on
detaining me. <O:P></O:P><BR><SPAN> </SPAN><O:P></O:P><BR>“This is just a
prison. We are kept locked in in the family area. But why? We have never ran
away or tried to break the law. We are being treated worse than criminals. I
can’t take my baby out for fresh air when she needs it. That is the worst thing,
not being able to play in the open with her, and I don’t like her seeing the
barbed wire or to know what it means – that we are like criminals and cannot
leave.<SPAN> </SPAN>I just want to be able to raise my daughter in peace,
find work and stand on our own two feet and make a simple life for us. Nothing
else. We are not criminals so why are they locking us up like this? My daughter
is just a baby, she has done nothing to harm anyone. I just ask the government
to release us from here.” <O:P></O:P><BR><SPAN>
</SPAN><O:P></O:P><BR>Robina Qureshi, Director of Positive Action in Housing,
said: <O:P></O:P><BR><SPAN> </SPAN><O:P></O:P><BR>“Sehar Shabaz’s story is
typical of many Pakistani women fleeing violent partners. They become
stigmatised by society for leaving their husbands and it is impossible to live
without fear of reprisals e.g. murders, social ostracisation, acid attacks on
womens faces and bodies. Since 2001, Positive Action in Housing, together with
human rights campaigners and others, has campaigned for the release of children
and their families who were locked up in detention centres across the UK. In
every case we dealt with, not one single family had absconded either before
their detention or after. All endured the terror of the current asylum policy,
and in many cases, won their right to remain after enduring dawn raids,
destitution or detention. The facts speak for themselves. So why is this young
woman being locked up with her young baby? Especially after the coalition
government made a show of ending child detention only a few days ago.
<O:P></O:P><BR><SPAN> </SPAN><O:P></O:P><BR>“Being in government is about
more than words of intent. It is utterly shameful that children continue to be
locked up in detention centres in the UK when the coalition government itself
only days ago took news headlines for its intention to scrap child detention and
condemned it as an inhumanity towards children and families.
<O:P></O:P><BR><SPAN> </SPAN><O:P></O:P><BR><SPAN> </SPAN>“We call on
the government to stand by its words and release Sehar Shabaz and her baby
immediately and all families with children who are currently detained. There is
no need for prevarication while alternatives are sought. The evidence of harm to
children is incontrovertible. The alternative to detention is extremely
straightforward – allow asylum seekers to stay in their homes while their asylum
claims are still ongoing”. <O:P></O:P><BR><SPAN>
</SPAN><O:P></O:P><BR><B>Sehar Shabaz has been told that she will be deported to
Pakistan on 22 May 2010. We call on womens groups, refugee campaigns and
everyone to campaign for Sehar's release. Please email your MP and MSP and
demand the release of Shear Shabaz and an immediate end to the shameful practice
of child detention in the UK</B>.<SPAN> </SPAN><O:P></O:P><BR><SPAN>
</SPAN><O:P></O:P><BR>Notes to editors: <O:P></O:P><BR><SPAN>
</SPAN><O:P></O:P><BR>Positive Action in Housing Ltd is a Scottish wide charity
working with communities, housing providers, voluntary organisations and faith
groups to enable everyone to have an equal chance to live in good quality,
affordable and safe homes, free from discrimination and the fear of racial
harassment and violence. We offer advice, information and support to people from
new migrant, refugee and minority ethnic communities. We run a free,
confidential and impartial casework service for those facing poverty,
homelessness, racism or poor housing. We run a Hardship Fund and provide
emergency shelter and practical resources for destitute asylum seekers and their
families. We provide volunteering and sessional work opportunities. We support
human rights and anti-racist campaigns. We inform social policy from a user-led
perspective.<SPAN> </SPAN><BR><!--[if
!supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><O:P></O:P> <BR>Press
enquiries - Robina Qureshi 07530 690 234 </BODY></HTML>