[noborders-brum] Fwd: Please support the campaign to stop the deportation of Guy Njike

Thu Feb 28 10:12:39 UTC 2008

----- Forwarded message from Anna Orrnert <A.M.Orrnert at bham.ac.uk> -----
    Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:57:35 +0000
    From: Anna Orrnert <A.M.Orrnert at bham.ac.uk>
Reply-To: Anna Orrnert <A.M.Orrnert at bham.ac.uk>
 Subject: Please support the campaign to stop the deportation of Guy Njike
      To: noborders-brum-contact at aktivix.org

Hello, 

I am writing to ask if you will support my friend Guy Njike who is facing
deportation to Cameroon where he will probably be tortured. I live in
Birmingham and a group of us here have started planning some activities to
support Guy here -  since the 2 most influential politicians in asylum cases
are both in the West Midlands: Jacqui Smith - Redditch, and Liam Byrne - Hodge
Hill. 

Would you be able to support our campaign for Guy to stay in the UK? Perhaps you
would be able to forward this email to people you think might be sympathetic
and willing to support us? We are also planning some protests outside Liam
Byrne's constituency office and some press work. If you have
time/ideas/experience in these and would like to get involved we would be
immensely grateful.

Guy's Case

Guy was imprisoned and tortured on numerous occasions in Cameroon due to his
political
activities with the opposition party, the Social Democratic Front. On the last
occasion his injuries were severe enough to need medical attention. Guy was
able to escape from the hospital and make his way to the UK. He claimed asylum
on the day he arrived, 26th August 1999. Guy heard nothing from the Home Office
for 5 years until his initial interview in 2004. His claim was rejected and
subsequent appeal were rejected but he was given leave to submit a fresh claim
based on new information in 2005.

Guy heard nothing from the Home Office until Monday 11th February 2008 when he
attended his monthly reporting appointment and was detained on the spot. He was
told he would be deported the following Saturday with no leave to appeal. Guy
was treated like a criminal and kept in solitary confinement. Guy was terrified
because he will almost certainly be imprisoned and tortured if returned to
Cameroon.

Thankfully Guy's case is eligible for judicial review and he has been released
from detention temporarily. However, the review can only overturn the ruling
based on an error of law - not the fact that Guy faces torture if returned to
Cameroon.

A Model Citizen

Since his arrival in the UK Guy has learnt English, achieved a masters degree,
worked full time to pay his way, done jury service, voted and given back
hundreds of hours to his community through voluntary work, including with the
Refugee Council. 

These are all the things the government is asking asylum seekers to do. Guy has
done all this while receiving counselling from the Medical Foundation for the
physical and psychological affects of torture.

The Campaign

Friends of Guy are campaigning for him to be allowed leave to remain in the UK.
If the judicial review fails the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, can use her
discretionary powers to overturn the ruling. To do this there must be immense
public pressure.

The UK has treated Guy terribly. He has been kept in limbo for 9 years and been
treated like a criminal. If he is returned to Cameroon he will almost certainly
be tortured, something the UK government is not allowed to do under
international human rights law.

Will you support Guy?

1) Sign the online petition and ask everyone you know to sign
ithttp://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopdeportationofguy/

 2) Email or fax the Home Secretary - tell her to not deport Guy:
http://stopdeportationofguy.wordpress.com/2008/02/15/please-tell-the-home-secretary-to-stop-the-deportation-of-guy/

3) Email Liam Byrne, Minister of State for Borders and Immigration:
http://stopdeportationofguy.wordpress.com/2008/02/15/and-please-write-to-the-minister-of-state-for-borders-and-immigration/

4) Contact your MP and ask them to raise the issues of Guy's case with the home
office:
http://stopdeportationofguy.wordpress.com/2008/02/15/please-write-to-your-mp-about-guy/

You can find out more about Guy and the campaign at:
http://stopdeportationofguy.wordpress.com/ 

We realise there are hundreds of people in the UK in a similar situation to Guy.
We can only hope that by bringing individual cases to the public and media
attention the government is forced to make changes to the law and prevent this
horrendous treatment from happening again. 

Thank you for your support,

Anna Orrnert

Anna Orrnert 
Research Fellow 

International Development Department 
The University of Birmingham 
Email: A.M.Orrnert at bham.ac.uk 

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----- End forwarded message -----