A KURDISH refugee who fled Iraq when his brother was murdered fears the Government plans to deport him and thousands of others refugees in Coventry back to the war-forn country.
Arsalan Saleh Mirza fled to Britain six years ago and has since made a new life in Coventry, buying a home in Foleshill with his partner Deirdre and helping fellow refugees in his job at Coventry Refugee Centre.
But the 32-year-old's asylum application was rejected by the Home Office in 2002, and his appeal was thrown out a year ago. Now, with the Government stepping up the deportation of lailed asylum seekers back to Iraq, Arsalan fears for his luture - and the future of the 5,000 strong Kurdish community in Coventry, the majority of which have also failed to secure asylum.
Speaking to The Observer •his week, Arsalan said he fled rag when his brother - a nember of the Patriotic Union if Kurdistan - was murdered or his political beliefs.
His three other brothers fled with him, but while all three have now been granted asylum in other European countries, Arsalan faces the threat of having to return to Iraq after the Home Office declared it safe......
"It's still very dangerous," Arsalan said. "People are still being murdered. A friend in Coventry found out his 28year-old brother had been murdered in Iraq last week. "But he will still face deportation." A Home Office spokesman confirmed this week hundreds of failed asylum seekers were now being returned to Iraq. "There are certain parts of the country which we feel are sufficiently stable for people to return without being at risk," the spokesman added.
Hundreds of Iraqis died during this week alone in the wake of the Sunni leaders' rejection of the country's new constitution.
Middle Eastern political commentators have branded the constitution a "recipe for chaos" while others fear it may result in a civil war.
DEMOCRATIC Stalingrad O'Neill RIPPLIC COÑGO might have forged.
Single seekers whose applications have failed lose their financial support and are evicted, becoming homeless and destitute.
Those who cannot return to their country (eg. they are stateless, so no country will accept them, or there is no safe passage) can apply for "section 4 support" accommodation and £35 worth of "luncheon vouchers" a week (with which some basics, like nappies, often cannot be bought) and may be obliged to work 35 hours a week for no pay.
Section 9 of the 2004 Asylum and Immigration Act means that asylum seeking families whose applications have failed must sign an agreement with the Home Office that they will leave the UK as soon as the Home Office considers it is safe to return them to their country of origin.
If the family sign, they will continue to receive accommodation and benefits: if not they can be evicted from their accommodation and all benefits stopped.
Further, if after being forced onto the streets the children show signs of "neglect" the relevant local authority will have a statutory duty to separate the children from the parents and take the children into care! Professional organisations have been outraged by these moves. "This brutal power calls into question our standing in the international community" said the British
many asylum seekers are viciously assaulted during deportation Strong local campaigns in defence of asylum seekers in Manchester have laid the basis for action against Section 9
Despite large,
visible scars on
her body and showing the
authorities copies
of arrest warrants,
they decided that
she had not been
persecuted. Association of Social Workers. The Association of Directors of Social Services commented "Ideas of this sort really belongs to an earlier century".
But Tony Blair and new Labour have shown time and again that they are happy to break with international law, whether in fighting an illegal war in Iraq or in breaching the UN convention on the Rights of the Child in passing this legislation.
Section 9 is being "piloted" in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and north London. According to the Refugee Council, by the end of August support had been been withdrawn from families with a further 70 families nearing the end of the process and facing a similar outcome.
Many of the families were unable to understand letters they were sent which were in English only.
The Sukula family who with their six children live in Bolton, Greater Manchester arrived from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) three years ago. The mother was hosGREATER MANCHESTER pitalised for 3 weeks after being beaten and threatened by government militia who suspected her husband was an opponent of the regime.
Despite large, visible scars on her body and showing the authorities copies of arrest warrants, they decided that she had not been persecuted. The family's asylum claim was refused.
Bolton council is continuing to provide the family with food and essentials while trying to clarify the legal position. Bolton NUT have been involved in launching a support campaign based around the eldest child's school.
The Khanali family, who are Christians, fled to the UK in 2003 after Vahid Khanlai's shop was raided by the security services in Iran and he was accused of advancing western culture by selling items such as satellite dishes. Their asylum claim was rejected.
The Home Office's own 2005 country report on Iran reports "offences considered to amount to "insult" to religion can be punished by death", and that: "Continuing serious abuses included: summary executions; disappearances; torture and punishments such as beheading and flogging."
Oppose Section 9
FOR BLAIR
The family live in Bury, Greater Manchester and enjoy the support of their local Church, local councillors, the governors of the local school, and the local newspapers.
Vahid and Zohreh Khanali have been described as "fantastic" parents by the local Social Services Department. Their children are 6 (Parisa) and 7 months old (Mobina -who is still breastfeeding).
Zoreh has long term depression made worse by fear of homelessness. Vahid has severe back and heart problems.
The ten councils in Greater Manchester and those in Yorkshire and Humberside have asked the government to think again.
Strong local campaigning has been building over recent months.
In late August, the Manchester Evening News carried a story on the two families and the impact of section 9 and then ran a poll asking whether the local councils right to oppose the "immoral new asylum rules on benefits. 64 per cent of those who responded agreed with this stance, demonstrating that the reactionary myths about asylum seekers can be combated. • For further information see www.ncadc.org.uk. Demonstrate Oct 1 Lever Edge Lane, Bolton /2 noon Support the Sukula family Supported by Sukula family must stay campaign, NCADC, Bolton Met Unison, Bolton NUT and others
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Chavez (right) offers solidarity to New Orleans
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