Iranian mother and daughter facing imminent deportation

Article published: Friday, October 2nd 2009

A campaign is underway to prevent the deportation of a 16 year old Iranian girl and her mother. They are currently being held 150 miles outside of their home in Salford at the notorious Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre, where they have been for over three weeks.

Their asylum claim has been refused for the second time despite their lives being at serious risk in Iran. On Thursday morning mother and daughter were notified by the Home Office that they must board a flight on Sunday back to Iran. With just one working day’s notice, Manchester based human rights organisation RAPAR have been working furiously with the Medical Justice Network to save them from deportation and immediate danger.

Sara and her mother, Pouri, arrived in the UK two years ago, fleeing government hostility in Iran after the unexplained disappearance of a family member. The couple took up residency in Manchester, and subsequently converted from Islam to Christianity – increasing the danger they would face should they be forced back to the theocratic republic of Iran.

On 10 September, five hours before their deportation flight back to Iran was due to depart, Pouri took an overdose in a bid for safety. Representatives from RAPAR worked with lawyers and halted the deportation under extenuating medical circumstances. Pouri survived. Her actions temporarily delayed their return to Iran, but mother and child were transported to Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre, where they are now imprisoned.

Information on the Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre website states facilities include a good standard of healthcare, education services, cinemas, youth clubs and hair salons. Yet the centre has been dogged by controversy since its opening in November 2001. In September 2005, Manuel Bravo, an Angolan political refugee who had lived in Leeds for over three years, took his own life at Yarl’s Wood. In May 2007 over 100 female detainees took part in a hunger strike against poor conditions and understaffing, while over 30 partook in another in June this year protesting against sub-standard child healthcare. Meanwhile SERCO, the private company which runs Yarl’s Wood, continues making healthy profits like other operators in the sector.

A recent report published by Children’s Commissioner for England, Sir Al Aynsley-Green, expresses serious concern at the standard of care being provided for children and young people at the centre. The report found that children are being held on average for a period of 8 to 15 days, 16 year old Sara has been held for over 21 days at the time of writing. The internal health service was found to be below the lowest acceptable standard of NHS level provision. The report strongly advises that detention is harmful to young people and should only be used as an absolute last resort, not as an administrative measure.

RAPAR work consistently with displaced individuals from all over the world offering support, advice and a sense of community. They are heavily involved with developing a Manchester Persian Society to provide solidarity, support and aid for persons such as Sara and Pouri. The RAPAR case-worker expressed serious concern over the lack of social and legal care for asylum seekers in the UK. She said a distressed Sara had even asked for help from her school, but failed to receive any.

Speaking to Sara on Thursday it is clear she feels betrayed by the legal services and professionals around her, “They said ‘Trust me.’ I can trust. I trust them. I trust them, but nobody helped me. Nobody listens. Nobody cares.”

For more information and to contact RAPAR about Sara and Pouri’s case, call: 07776264646

Rachel Jackson

Tweet

More: Manchester, News

Comments

1. This is the latest press release from RAPAR, it has the real names!

   The Manchester-based human rights organisation RAPAR is working with the Medical Justice Network, lawyers and other organisations in a last minute attempt to stop the deportation of a 16 year old Iranian girl and her sick mother.

   Mother and daughter, who were living in Salford before they were detained, have been locked up at Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre, just outside Bedford.

   Last month, the mother, Marjan Gorzy, took an overdose of tablets just five hours before they were due to be put on a flight to Iran and she has been in very bad health since then. Her daughter, Arezoo, is desperately worried about her mother and is terrified of being sent back to Iran.

   Two years ago, mother and daughter fled from Iran after the father of the family disappeared and his wife and child could not find him or discover what had happened to him. When they claimed asylum in the UK, they also converted to Christianity but, despite this, the Home Office does not accept that their lives would be in great danger if they returned to Iran.

   On 10th September, the mother, Marjan, terrified beyond words, did the only thing she felt she could to protect her daughter – five hours before they were due to be put on a flight to Iran, she took so many tablets that she lost consciousness. Arezoo contacted RAPAR caseworkers, some of whom are from Iran themselves, and they reached her lawyer in time to stop the deportation on medical grounds.

   Marjan is still ill and both she and her daughter are in considerable mental distress but, despite this, they are still due to be deported on Sunday.

   For more information, please contact:
   07776264646

   Comment by Free Movement for All on October 5, 2009 at 12:17 pm

The comments are closed.