Success!

Have just heard that Annociate has been given discretionary leave to remain in this country. Fantastic news. Many thanks to all the people that have helped this campaign in any way.

Times Educational Supplement

There is excellent coverage of our campaign in today's Times Ed. A beautiful picture of Annociate on the front page of the FE supplement and a good article on page 24. (see press coverage)

Campaign not yet over!

Annociate and Myra appeared on Calandar today, in an interview at the Conversation Club. The Times Educational Supplement published a good article on page 3 of the FE section, thanks to the Sheffield College press release. I was interviewed on Radio Sheffield. The Sheffield Star printed the story of Annociate's release, but unfortunately indicated that Annociate now has the right to stay here. This is not yet true. Annociate is still an Asylum Seeker, and will have to report to Vulcan House every week. Surely though she has now suffered enough, and should be given the right to stay and be allowed to marry. This blog will stay on-line until we can publish some wedding pictures!

Freedom!

Annociate is on her way back home to Sheffield! Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou to all the people that have made this campaign a success. The immediate threat of deportation is now over- however, there are more battles to fight, as now we need to ensure that Annociate gets her id card so she can get married.

At 1am this morning Annociate was moved from Colnbrook. At first she didn't know where she was going, so must have thought she was on the way to the airport. However, they took her to Yarlswood. At 9am Radio Sheffield broadcast the interview that was recorded last night on the prison phone. Annociate spoke with great dignity about her plight. Today they have filled in bail forms and she is presently on her way back to Sheffield. Her support group are looking forward to meeting her from the train and giving her a big hug!

Radio Interview with Annociate

Today BBC Radio Sheffield interviewed Annociate on the phone. Hopefully this will be broadcast on the early morning news bulletins at 7am and 8am. Please tune in!

Shocking conditions

Yesterday Annociate was taken from Dungavel to Colnbrook in a mini bus. Myra was allowed to speak to her at about 8.30pm We are all shocked beyond measure to learn that Annociate is in solitary confinement, locked into a prison cell with nothing to take her mind from her terrors. She is very, very distraught . She says it is worse than Bridge Street police cells in Sheffield which are appalling. She has not been given her suitcase, has no extra clothes, no blanket and is very cold. Her toilet is in the cell with her so she cannot even go out to the toilet. We fear she will be unable to bear this added horror just before the deportation. It is gratuitous inhumanity to lock her up in such conditions. Please write to

Colnbrook IRC
Colnbrook by Pass
Harmondsworth
West Drayton
UB7 0FX

and ask that she be moved from that cell.

Removal deferred

Annociate's solicitors have just had a message to say that the removal directions have been deferred. Thank goodness! This is because the Home Office are considering the representations they sent them.

This means that the flight should NOT go ahead on Thursday. Please stop phoning/writing to Kenya airlines for now. Keep an eye on this blog for any more news.

It is highly likely that a new decision in response to the representations will be made soon. If it is negative we may be needing your support again on the phones. In the mean time please concentrate on getting more people to sign the on-line petition, (which has currently reached 399 with many excellent comments)write to Liam Byrne or join the Facebook group.

Colnbrook

We have heard this morning that Annociate is being moved to Colnbrook, near Heathrow, today.Aime had taken the day off to go and see her in Dungavel, but this visit has been thwarted. He now hopes to see her tomorrow.

Please write, phone, fax and phone again Kenya Airlines.(see article below)

Vigil, Monday 22nd September

At the Labour Conference

6 of us went to the Labour Party conference to try to lobby delegates to the conference. We found a brilliant space at the back exit to the hotel, where there were a steady stream of people coming out of the main hall. The pictures of Annociate proved quite effective. We gave out 200 leaflets in all, and some supportive people promised to copy more and distribute inside the conference. I am not particularly good at recognising MP's, but the ones we did speak to included Hazel Blears "Thankyou I will read this" Tony Benn "I will see what I can do", John Cowan (PPC for South Cmbs) "Please keep me informed". We spoke to lots of people. I also spoke on a soapbox outside the hotel, although the audience were mainly policemen- but this did lead to me being introduced to Denis Afernado who was helping to organise a fringe event on "Multiculturalism's role in Modern Society" for which the speakers included Keith Vaz, Doreen Lawrence (mother of Stephen), Pav Akhtar (Unison) Soumaya Ghannoushi (Researcher, School of Oriental and African Studies) Mohammed Azim (NAAR) Before the meeting I was able to speak to Keith Vaz, who was very supportive. He then mentioned Annociate in his speech. After the speeches I asked the first question and talked about Annociate. Everyone was very supportive. Doreen Lawrence said we could use her name as a supporter.I returned to Sheffield feeling much more confident that we can still win this campaign. But now we only have 3 days left. We need to double our efforts!

Please Lobby Kenya Airlines

Please copy and paste this fax and send it today, or email
ukres@kenya-airways.com. marked fao Sam Okwulelie


Sam Okwulehie, Group Area Manager
Kenya Airways
Bedfont Road
Staines
Middlesex
TW19 7NL
Fax: Fax: 020 8745 5027 / Phone: 02082831800.


Dear Mr. Okwulehie

Annociate Nimpagaritse is due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Thursday 25th September on Kenya Airways flight KQ101 from Heathrow @ 20:00 hours to Nairobi and KQ470 onwards to Bujumbura, Burundi. I am writing to ask you not to carry out this forced removal.

Deportation to Burundi will put her in great danger. Many Burundians who know her believe she could be killed. She has been given permission by the Home Office to marry someone with whom she is in love in the United Kingdom. She should be allowed to stay here in safety and get married.

Annociate is from the minority Tutsi ethnic group in Burundi, and was born in Bujumbura, the capital city. Hutus killed various family members in 1993. Then, in 2004, armed men who she believes to have been from the FNL (Forces nationals de liberation), a Hutu rebel group, shot and killed her parents at the family home. Annociate and her siblings managed to escape from the house and fled to a refugee camp, but she became separated from them and does not know their whereabouts. In the camp she was constantly in fear of discovery by FNL Hutus, and in 2005 was helped to escape to the UK where she claimed asylum. This was refused as was her fresh claim made in April 2007. She suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder and is still receiving counselling.

This will not be the first time that an attempt has been made to deport Annociate. On February 28th 2008, she was arrested, and then held in a police cell in Sheffield for 3 days in solitary confinement before transfer to Yarl’s Wood detention centre. On March 5th she was removed to Burundi, but Burundian immigration did not accept her and she was returned all the way back to the UK. It was a terrible trauma for her and for the man who loves her, as well as an appalling waste of time and taxpayers money.

Annociate was allowed to return to Sheffield where she began to rebuild her life, studying at Sheffield College, and singing in the French choir at St Marie’s Cathedral, helping in the work of the registered charity Assist, and attending meetings of the local Amnesty group. She and her boy friend Aime applied to get married through her solicitor with the warm support of her church, and the Home Office accepted that theirs was a genuine relationship, and gave permission. Despite this, the Home Office have repeatedly failed to return her ID card to her, taken when she was arrested in March. Without it, she has been unable to marry.

On September 12th at 6.15 a.m. she was arrested a second time, and taken to Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre in South Lanarkshire. Her solicitor has put in a fresh claim for asylum. Her church, her friends and college teachers are all campaigning for her to be allowed to stay on compassionate grounds in view of the very real suffering she has endured and fears that she will be attacked in Burundi and never reunited with Aime. A petition with over 1200 names, including Nick Clegg M.P. has now been collected asking that she be given the right to stay in the UK.

A Home Office spokesman said the Border and Immigration Agency only contracted with airlines willing to operate removal flights. He added: “The agency uses agents/brokers to arrange both charter and scheduled removals. Airline captains have the right to refuse carriage of a passenger and will do so if they feel it appropriate for security or commercial reasons”. This may seem to indicate that Kenya Airlines could choose not to be “willing to operate removal flights”.

I urge you therefore not to co-operate with this forced removal. Everyone has the right to family life. It would be cruel and inhumane to separate two people so deeply committed to each other. They would have very little hope of being together ever again if Annociate were removed to Burundi to face terrible danger next Thursday.

Yours Sincerely,

Name:

Address:

City:

Postcode:

Country:

Date:

Email:

New On line petition

Please sign the new on line petition to Liam Byrne, Minister for Immigration.

Vigil Monday 5-6pm Sheffield Town Hall

We have decided to organise a vigil for Annociate this Monday 22nd September from 5pm to 6pm outside Sheffield Town Hall. If you can, wear a red flower to represent Annociate and Aime's love. We will be asking passers by to sign a letter to the Home Office. If you would like to bring an appropriate reading, reflection or song, or to say a few words, that would be great. We will also have a time of silent reflection and prayer. This will be 3 days before Annociate's deportation date.

Flight date

Annociate phoned me today with some very bad news. A date has been set for her deportation. It is Thursday 25th September at 8pm. She is understandably, very depressed and frightened.

On the more positive front some big names are openly supporting our campaign. Nick Clegg MP has written to Liam Byrne, as has Heather MacDonald, the Chief Executive of Sheffield College. The folk at St Marie's have been working very hard and already have more than 100 letters to send. Everyone I speak to is appalled at what is being done in their name by this Government.

I thought this quote summed it up rather well-

"The Home Office's incompetence is illustrated both by their bungled attempt to deport her earlier, and by the ludicrous sequence of giving her permission to marry, and the next week deciding to deport her. That pales before the inhumanity of the decision, however. It does seem scandalous, given her history, conditions in Burundi, and a fiance here with leave to remain and a house and job."

Would you like to help the campaign? One thing we need urgently at the moment is someone to monitor the various newspapers/websites that might carry articles about Annociate, and respond to them in the letters page. Please let Graham know which paper or website you are willing to monitor.

Message from Annociate

Annociate sent this email to her supporters earlier today.

hi all,

i don,t know what i have to say as i am so deppressed .

i hoped few days ago when i head from my solicitor i have got a good news that the home office accepted my proposal of marriage ,i thought i am going to move forward .

but after a fews days i had very very bad news i was so shoked to hear that the police come to my house to arrest me early in the morning and the same time i been given a refusal letter i could,nt belivet if iam going back to detention as i been before and i knew how is looks like.

now i am so stressful i don,t know what my future is going to be .

i can,t sleep i have got a shoulder pain for one year and i left my ice pack at home which i had to put it six times a day. i am so worried if i go back my life will be in danger.

to me to return in burundi is better to stay in detantion even is not good place to live because i have no one there , i ran away i prefer to die here not there .

also i don,t want to be separated with my fiancee aime because i love him not because of the paper but the really love and i am very sure he loves me too.he is everything for me he make me forget all my past so if i go away from him i will be mad.

please do whatever you can to save me not to be deported to burundi.

thanks for all you have done for me and i hope i will come back in sheffield very soon .

bye

god bless you ,

best of love

annociate

We remain very concerned for Annociate. There is no flight date as yet, but it could be very soon. If she is sent back there is a great danger of rape and violence. Burundi is an extremely dangerous place for a young girl on her own, who would have no where to stay and no family to care for her. Retribution squads are violent and extreme.

When Myra saw Annociate in the cells in Sheffield on Friday she was unable to speak. Myra asked her to tell her one word that she liked. She did not reply immediately but then very quietly she murmured "life".

Our understanding is that the Burundian authorities have now accepted that she is Burundian. This means that, whilst her situation is not hopeless, the odds are stacked against her.

It is desperately urgent that whatever steps can be taken should be taken to try to save her from deportation even at this late hour. It is such a tragedy for her.

Richard and Myra went to collect a few things from her room, and it was so sad seeing her precious belongings there, not allowed to be taken with her, especially her engagement ring.

8 police turned up at 6.15 a.m.on Friday. They went into all the different women's rooms and told them all to go downstairs, whilst they bundled Annociate into the vehicle to take her to Dungavel. An intimidating experience also for the other women in the house, who were very upset for Annociate. A cruel and brutal process.

More encouragingly lots of supporters are getting on board. Over 100 letters were signed at St Marie's this morning (thank you Philip), we have an article on Indy Media and on the Sheffield Green Party website, the Free Annociate facebook group is growing and press releases have been sent to local, national and church media.

Annociate Nimpagaritse

Annociate Nimpagaritse is being held in Dungavel detention centre in South Lanarkshire, awaiting deportation to Burundi. Please take urgent action now to help us get Annociate back to Sheffield where she belongs. This is her story.

Annociate is from the minority Tutsi ethnic group and was born in Bujumbura, the capital city. She says that various family members were killed by Hutus in 1993. Annociate says that in 2004 a number of armed men, who she believes to have been from the FNL (Forces nationals de liberation), a Hutu rebel group, shot and killed her parents at the family home. Annociate says that she and her siblings managed to escape from the house and fled to a refugee camp but she became separated from them and does not know their whereabouts. Annociate fled to the UK in 2005.

The immigration judge in Annociate's appeal accepted that "The conditions in the camp were appalling and there was little food to eat. The Appellant lived in the camp for a period of one year but constantly feared further attacks by Hutus. Her account was consistent with the objective material contained in the latest CIPU report [from the Home Office] on the Burundi."

However, the immigration judge refused Annociate's asylum claim. Annociate made a fresh claim April 2007 but this was also been rejected.

Annociate fears persecution on the basis of her ethnicity and gender, and her belief that she could not get protection from the government.

"I am terrified of what the Hutu FNL might do to me after killing my parents. Beside, the FNL have declared me as a wanted person in Burundi. I believe that some of its members, jealous of our family wealth, may have intentions to appropriate our house and other properties in Burundi and as a result would want to ensure that they eliminate every single one of us since my parents are already out of their way"
Annociate Nimpagaritse

In February 2008 Burundi was listed 5th on "The Index of State Weakness in the Developing World", developed by the Brookings Institute and the Centre for Global Development.

"The FCO [Foreign & Commonwealth Office] country profile for Burundi stated, "The human rights situation in Burundi remains poor, with widespread abuses committed by all parties, particularly in the rural areas surrounding the capital. Tens of thousands of people remain internally displaced. Killing of civilians, reprisal killings, torture, rape, theft, illegal and arbitrary detention, and forced labour have been reported. Rape and gang rape against women, girls and boys is on the increase. The judicial system has little capacity to act in timely and impartial manner, and impunity is pervasive … The USSD, Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005, 8 March 2006, noted that … The PALIPEHUTU-FNL [Party for the Liberation of the Hutu People/National Liberation Front] continued to commit numerous serious human rights abuses against civilians, including killings, indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas, kidnappings, rapes, theft, extortion, the forcible recruitment and employment of children as soldiers, and the use of forced labor."
Home Office country report on Burundi, 14 March 2007.

Annociate is a young woman who is very vulnerable, traumatised by her past, and at great risk because she has no family or other support in the country.

"She [Annociate] suffers from post traumatic stress disorder"
Dr Lucy Manning, Central Health Clinic, Sheffield - letter dated 22/03/07

Annociate has been part of life in Sheffield as a member of St Marie's Cathedral Church, and the choir, Ephaphatha. She suffers from post traumatic stress after her experiences in Burundi, but has slowly been recovering with support from her counsellor and friends. She has gradually been able to get involved in the charity ASSIST, helping destitute asylum seekers in Sheffield.

Annociate was sent to back to Burundi on March 5th. The Burundian officials refused her entry because she did not have the right documents.

She was returned to Yarlswood Detention Centre and eventually released later in March, when she returned to Sheffield. She complied with all the Home Office requirements, and resumed her normal life, studying at College, singing in the choir at St Marie's Cathedral, helping the charitable work of Assist and meeting her boyfriend Aime. Their love for each other had been developing, and blossomed in this brief respite period. They got engaged.

Annociate found a new solicitor in Sheffield who put in a fresh claim for leave to remain in the UK. They also had to apply for permission from the Home Office to get married. They had to provide evidence concerning the genuineness of the relationship, so her Church gave their warm endorsement. A letter allowing the marriage was received by the solicitor, with the only requirement being they must get married within 3 months. She and Aime were delighted and started to make plans for the wedding. When Annociate went to the Registry Office she was refused because she didn't have an identity card or proof of her nationality. This had been taken from her when she was first deported. Despite frequent requests and her willingness to travel to the office in Liverpool, she was not granted the required interview so that her documents could be returned. On Thursday September 11th a further request was made by the Northern Refugee Centre requesting the early expedition of Annociate's new id card.

Annociate was arrested at 6.15am on the 12th September. Her solicitor received a letter to say that her fresh claim had been refused later the same day. At 4pm she was collected by the Border and Immigration Authority and taken to Manchester, and then to Dungavel, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. We fear that she may be given flight directive very soon.

We are currently trying to contact the Friends of Dungavel group so they can visit Annociate, who will be terrified and so far away from her friends and supporters.

What you can do.
1.Please fax or e-mail Liam Byrne, Minister for Immigration at the Home Office,asking that Annociate is allowed to stay in the UK. You can use the Model letter which you can copy/amend, or write your own version (in which case, please remember to include Annociate Nimpagaritse's Home Office ref. no. N1111367)

Fax: 020 8760 3132/ from outside UK+ 44 020 8760 3132

Please notify the campaign of any faxes sent:
Friends of Annociate Nimpagaritse
Contact : Graham Wroe at gswroe@yahoo.co.uk
Model Letter

Liam Byrne,


Liam Byrne, Minister for Immigration
Home Office, 3rd Floor
Peel Building,
2 Marsham Street
London, SW1P 4DF
Email: byrnel@parliament.uk

Dear Mr. Byrne,
Annociate Nimpagaritse - Home Office ref. no. N1111367, due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Thursday 25th September on Kenya Airways flight KQ101 from Heathrow @ 20:00hrs to Nairobi and KQ470 onwards to Bujumbura, Burundi.

I am writing to ask you to free Annociate Nimpagaritse, who is currently detained in Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre, Scotland, with removal directions for Thursday 25th September. She should not be deported to Burundi, as this could put her in great danger. It would also mean that she might never be able to be reunited with the man she loves and who loves her. I wish that she be allowed to stay in UK and marry her fiancé.

Annociate is from the minority Tutsi ethnic group in Burundi and was born in Bujumbura, the capital city. Hutus killed various family members in 1993. In 2004, armed men who she believes to have been from the FNL (Forces nationals de liberation), a Hutu rebel group, shot and killed her parents at the family home. Annociate and her siblings managed to escape from the house and fled to a refugee camp but she became separated from them and does not know their whereabouts. In the camp she was constantly in fear of discovery by FNL Hutus and in 2005 was helped to escape to UK where she claimed asylum. This was refused as was her fresh claim made in April 2007. She suffers from post- traumatic stress disorder and is still receiving counselling.

On February 28th 2008 Annociate was arrested. She was held in a police cell at Bridge Street, Sheffield for 3 days in solitary confinement before transfer to Yarl’s Wood. On March 5th she was removed to Burundi. Burundian Immigration did not accept her and she was returned to the UK. It was a terrible trauma for her and for the man who loves her.

A petition with over 1200 names, including Nick Clegg MP, was collected asking for Annociate to be given right to stay in the UK.

Annociate was allowed to return to Sheffield and began to rebuild her life, studying at Sheffield College, singing in the French choir at St Marie’s Cathedral, helping the charitable work of Assist, attending meetings of local Amnesty group, She and her boy friend, Aime, longed to get married and applied for permission through Annociate’s solicitor. Having convinced the Home Office that it was a genuine relationship and that he was able to support her she received a letter of permission. Sadly when she went to register she found she needed her ID card, which had been taken from her when she was arrested in March. Despite repeated requests this is still withheld.

On September 12th at 6.15am she was arrested again in Sheffield and taken to Dungavel IRC. Her solicitor has put in a fresh claim.

Her church, her friends and her college teachers are campaigning for her to be allowed to stay on compassionate grounds in view of the very real suffering she has endured and fears that she will be attacked in Burundi and may never be able to be reunited with Aime.

I beg you to allow Annociate to stay in UK and marry her fiancé. Everyone has the right to family life. It would be cruel and inhumane to separate two people who are committed to each other and have very little hope of being together ever again if Annociate is removed to Burundi on Thursday next.

Yours Sincerely,

Name:

Address:

City: Postcode:

Country: Date: Email:

Background information

In February 2008 Burundi was listed 5th on "The Index of State Weakness in the Developing World", published by the Brookings Institute and the Centre for Global Development. The FCO [Foreign & Commonwealth Office] country profile for Burundi states, "The human rights situation in Burundi remains poor, with widespread abuses committed by all parties, particularly in the rural areas surrounding the capital. Tens of thousands of people remain internally displaced. Killing of civilians, reprisal killings, torture, rape, theft, illegal and arbitrary detention, and forced labour have been reported. Rape and gang rape against women, girls and boys is on the increase. The judicial system has little capacity to act in timely and impartial manner, and impunity is pervasive … “ The USA, Country Report on Human Rights Practices Burundi 2007: The government's human rights record remained poor; despite improvements in some areas, government security forces continued to commit numerous serious human rights abuses. Members of the FDN, the police, and the National Intelligence Service (SNR) were responsible for killings, torture, and beatings of civilians and detainees (including suspected FNL supporters). There were isolated reports that security forces raped women and young girls. Impunity and harsh, life-threatening prison and detention remained problems. The government restricted freedom of assembly and association. The government did not tolerate direct criticism of the president and journalists continued to exercise self-censorship. Security forces continued to harass members of the opposition. Societal violence and discrimination against women and trafficking in persons remained problems. Despite the cease-fire and the general lack of hostilities between the government and the FNL, abuses by the FNL against civilians continued and occurred primarily in FNL traditional strongholds of Bujumbura Rural, and the northern provinces of Bubanza, Cibitike, Muramvya, and Kayanza. These abuses included killings, kidnappings, rapes, theft, extortion, the forcible recruitment of children as soldiers, and the use of forced labor.

2. Do you or one of your friends live in easy travelling distance of Dungavel Detention Centre? If so, please consider visiting Annociate.

3. Tell all your friends.

4. Add a message of support to this blog.