Iranian family face deportation on Thursday

Article published: Thursday, December 23rd 2010

Despite an intervention by a local MP it appears that the Vahidi family are to face deportation on Thursday December 23 back to Iran where they face ‘grave danger’.

The family have been imprisoned in Yarl’s Wood detention centre since December 20. They had spent several months in hiding after receiving removal directions from the UK Borders Agency (UKBA).

Mr and Mrs Vahidi and their 18 year old son Farhad previously lived in Gorton. Farhad had been a pupil at Wright Robinson School and, until August, Manchester College, playing in the basketball team.

Sir Gerald Kaufman MP has said he is “deeply concerned” about this second attempt at deportion of the family and pledged to conctact Immigration Minister Damian Green.

The family arrived in the UK in 2007. They fled Iran due to Mr Varhidi’s unknowing involvement in the leaking of sensitive information in relation to Iran’s nuclear programme.

A spokesperson for local human rights charity RAPAR said: “All the evidence shows that this family will be in grave danger if they are returned to Iran.”

As MULE reported in August, supporters argued that the family were targeted as part of a secretive ‘fast-track’ deportation pilot scheme being trialled in Manchester. This followed leaked documents which revealed how local authorities were preparing ways to meet community resistance and local media attention against deportations.

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