Save Sukai: torture fear for Salford asylum seeker
Article published: Friday, September 28th 2012
Fears of torture and rape have been raised by supporters of Sukai Jack, a detained Salford asylum seeker due to be deported to Gambia tomorrow evening.
Sukai Jack, a regular volunteer at Salford’s Women’s Centre since fleeing Gambia, is being held in the UK Border Agency’s Yarl’s Wood detention centre and is due to be deported at 18.10, Saturday 29 September.
The threat is the latest in a series of attempts to deport Sukai to the West African state, whose government was recently condemned by Amnesty International for “human rights abuses” and a “culture of fear”.
Sukai escaped to the UK in 2007 after being imprisoned, tortured and raped in Gambia. She was arrested and accused of being part of a coup after she unwittingly delivered letters which the authorities claimed contained information about a plot to overthrow the government.
Supporters have battled to save Sukai for three years with demos, vigils and letters of support, amid fears she could be “disappeared” by the Gambian government if she is forcibly returned.
In a campaign statement, supporters said “Sukai was put in prison without trial. She was regularly beaten, tortured, and raped. Other prisoners who have been linked to the alleged coup have been ‘disappeared’ and not seen since. She was told in prison that she would die in there ‘sooner or later’.
“Although the UK Home Office are not convinced of her story, we have more evidence than ever that she will be at risk of persecution from the Gambian authorities if deported. The harmful treatment that she reported to local UK newspapers for her campaign has been picked up and published by a number of online Gambian newspapers.
“Human Rights organisations have reported much evidence of the Gambian Government harming those nationals that report information that tarnishes their reputation. In particular, Amnesty International has found evidence of danger to Gambians featured in the Freedom Newspaper, a publication that has repeatedly reported Sukai’s story. Because of this, we believe that Sukai would be in danger for reporting mistreatment at the hands of the government.”
Take action to save Sukai
1. Contact the airline: ask Royal Air Maroc not to take part in this human rights abuse.
Remember, if calling the airline, remain calm and polite at all times. We do not want to harrass the airline or it’s workers, we just want to raise their awareness of the situation, and ask that they refuse to assist in this injustice. You can read guidelines for contacting airlines here. Campaigners have prepared a model letter you can use to send to the airline.
The flight numbers are AT801 London to Morocco, at 18:10hrs and AT529 Morocco to Gambia at 22:30hrs on 29 September.
Contact details:
Royal Air Maroc UK
Lagham House, 32-33 Gosfield Street
London W1W 6ED
tel: 020 730 758 00
fax: 0208 711 3109
email these addresses:
info@royal-airmaroc.co.uk
callcenter@royalairmaroc.com
2. Write a letter of protest to the Home Secretary, Theresa May.
You can use this letter as a template, or write your own. Please quote Sukai’s Home Office reference number on letters – J1162071.
If you are sending letters or faxes, remember to sign and date the letters. If you receive any response from the Home Office, please let the campaign know via ncadc@ncadc.org.uk. It’s best to write in your own words; alternatively you can use the model letter.
Theresa May, MP
Secretary of State for the Home Office
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1 4DF
Fax
020 7035 4745
(00 44 20 7035 4745 if you are faxing from outside UK)
Email – copy to all these addresses:
mayt@parliament.uk
pscorrespondence@cabinet-office.gsi.gov.uk
Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
CITTO@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
More: Migration and asylum, News
Comments
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Sukai is refusing to accept the legal decisions of our immigration lawyers and leave the UK. She is continuing to live all free at the taxpayers’ expense. Sukai has become a money-guzzling and time-wasting liability on the British people. Time wasted passing her on from Glasgow, Liverpool and then Salford. Allowing her to stay for years on the all free asylum package. Wasting time and expense getting her into Yarl’s Wood, paying for her ticket to Gambia which turned out to ba a wasted effort.
Time for Sukai to disappear back to her own country.
Comment by Raibert on September 29, 2012 at 4:08 pm -
NO HUMAN BEING IS ILLEGAL!
Never mind the ‘legal decisions’, just because it’s a law, it doesn’t make it right. Is money all you care about? What about her human rights and wellbeing? That you would rather see someone deported and imprisoned and tortured than your oh so precious taxes, then you are just plain sick! And why all this talk of asylum seekers ‘money-guzzling’ when the ECGD wastes millions of tax payers money acting as insurance for arms dealers?! You need to get your priorities in order. A bit of intellect and empathy wouldn’t go amiss either.
I for one welcome Sukai as a fellow human being and honorary Mancunian.
Comment by sarah on September 30, 2012 at 7:37 pm -
@sarah
“Never mind the ‘legal decisions’, just because it’s a law, it doesn’t make it right” Do not be stupid, without laws we have anarchy. What about her human rights? Human rights for what? She isn’t going to be imprisoned and tortured – she’s been found out to be lying.
Here’s some comments from her Gambian kinsfolk ….
“I know there are so many problems back home that needs addressing but with sukai’s case is false and damaging cos i know her personally and knows for fact that all wat she has claimed has no iota of truth. i agreed with lamin on dis case. as gambians we should try to be good ambassadors for ur beloved country but not to potray her bad because of selfish interest and thats the case with sukai. dun think u deserved ur support u have put urself in trouble now go face it.gambians need better than ur likes at this time wen we are yearning for help.” / “This woman is lying to the bone! I couldn’t agree with you more and frankly it is embarrassing as a Gambian. I am just glad I do not live in her neck of the woods (salford).”Get yourself an education, google into the seeker’s grapevines, where they advise each other on the best ways to con their way via the use and abuse of the asylum route into other countries.
Comment by Raibert on October 1, 2012 at 12:51 am -
Assisted suicide is still illegal in UK. Does that make it wrong? They still have the death penalty in Texas, is that right just because it’s policy? Homosexuality is illegal in a lot of places- does that make it wrong? Don’t call me stupid just because I don’t believe everything I’m told.
I believe Sukai is telling the truth and I’m suspicious about where people like you come up with this so called information- especially with such poor spelling. You never know, maybe one day you’ll find yourself in the same position. That some social upheaval of some kind occurs and you have to go running to another country for sanctuary, only to find everyone calling you a liar and a scrounger and making your life hell, when all you want is the life that every human being deserves. Don’t mind me, I’m just someone who would rather we help everyone than help no one just in case someone might be trying to pull a fast one. Anyway, no one should have to ‘con’ their way into other countries. The world belongs to all of us.
Never confuse education with intelligence.
Comment by sarah on October 1, 2012 at 9:23 pm
Now then, off to listen to my Sex Pistols records
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Sara said, “I’m suspicious about where people like you come up with this so called information”.
Check the Gambian link below. The comments are written by Gambians, who seem a bit careless with their spelling.
http://www.jollofnews.com/salford-rise-in-defense-of-gambian-woman-set-for-deportation.html
Why did Sukai have to flee to the UK from Gambia? The width of her country is 30 miles at the most, so she could have easily walked to Senegal to escape.
Was Sukai deported, or is she still here?
Comment by Logie88 on October 3, 2012 at 8:34 am -
Just because someone shares the same nationality with someone, doesn’t mean they know everything about their lives and are automatically qualified to pass judgement. You never know what political or social divides are there and in whose interest one is speaking.
Ah, the geography argument! People have many different reasons for where they end up. For starters it’s SO dangerous to simply walk across borders, would YOU want to try that? You have a go at walking into Senegal, see what a party that will be.
Comment by sarah on October 3, 2012 at 6:46 pm
Some asylum seekers have family in some places already, there are cases of them simply being left at airports by the ‘agents’ who they were sent with, some are trafficked, plus Britain is a very difficult country to get to and with one of the most fascist border agencies going so they must be particularly desperate.
Either that, or maybe they’re just doing it to personally annoy you. -
Sarah, thanks for your reply. I should know better than to debate with a dedicated activist such as yourself, but I feel compelled to reply to what you have written.
First of all, I have to state that I am not out to disprove Sukai’s case. I do not have enough information to judge whether or not her case is genuine. However, I do suspect that her supporters are not presenting all of the facts of her case to the public, and (as you are doing) give superficial and/or dismissive responses to any criticisms which are raised.
You cast doubt on the veracity of the comments by her fellow Gambians. On the other hand, I read on one of her supporter-blogs that these same comments were evidence that it was unsafe for Sukai to return home. The blog carefully omitted to give a link to the Gambian comments. It seems to me that you have have cast doubt on some of your own evidence that it is not safe for her to return home.
With regard to walking across the border, you are quite right that as a white person it would be no party for me, since 99% of the population is black, and I would be a bit obvious to the authorities. However, since Sukai is black, and the borders with Senegal are porous, then she would have no trouble at all going across. Googling-Senegal Gambia “porous borders”-brought up lots of hits. Amongst them I found from a UNHCR report (at the top of the hits) this: “The Gambia’s porous borders as (sic) an active transit zone for … from West African countries … mainly Senegal …”
“Some asylum seekers have family in some places already. … ” Thanks for that. I thought that the international rules were that asylum seekers went to the nearest safe border, no argument. I had not realised that there was some wiggle room within the rules.
Comment by Logie88 on October 4, 2012 at 12:38 pm -
And thank YOU Logie88 for your charming introduction there. It REALLY takes the sting out of accusing me of being dismissive and superficial. I have made my feelings quite clear in that I myself believe we have a moral duty to give succour to those that seek sanctuary, that migration is essential to enrich any community, that no one nationality is better than any other- no matter where you are on earth, and we are all equal. No borders! No nations!- All that. I have expressed these feelings honestly and openly and will continue to do so.
Yes I do indeed cast doubt on the comments. And all comments. Just as how we are presently casting doubts and speculating on each others comments right here. Now even if what these comments say is true, and that Sukai is in no great danger, I still maintain her right to live wherever she wants, because as I have already expressed, I have no issues with immigration and wholeheartedly support and encourage it in my own little way.
Anyway, it’s not MY evidence. My evidence, is NOT based on comments unlike yours. My evidence is based on my own personal experience of working with asylum seekers etc. Believe it or not, whenever they go public with their campaign, there is always the pitchfork wielding villagers faction. Sukai’s case seems perfectly clear to me.‘Porous’ borders can often be overcome with trafficking and smuggling gangs who profit from it’s ‘illegal’ status, making it still incredibly dangerous to cross (even with limited ‘minutemen’ and border patrol numbers). Then there’s always the danger of being caught without papers on the other side.
“Correr es mi destino, Para burlar la ley, Perdido en el corazon, De la grande Babylon, Me dicen el clandestino, Por no llevar papel…”And as for your latter comment, there is no wiggle room. It’s just how stuff happens. In fact, there is hardly any room whatsoever. Besides, these ‘rules’ are hardly realistic in terms of the individual.
Comment by sarah on October 4, 2012 at 8:08 pm
However, if you want more in-depth info on why asylum seekers might find themselves in the UK (thus saving me burdening this thread with another essay), I suggest for your further reading, ‘Am I Safe Yet?’ a wonderful collection of accounts from Women Asylum Seekers Together: http://www.wast.org.uk/new/admin/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/attachment-2.pdf (stories like this are a much better source of information than a whole bunch of impractical stats). -
“With regard to walking across the border, you are quite right that as a white person it would be no party for me, since 99% of the population is black, and I would be a bit obvious to the authorities. However, since Sukai is black, and the borders with Senegal are porous, then she would have no trouble at all going across.”
What a bizarre comment. But unsurprising from someone with “88” in their username.
Comment by richard on October 5, 2012 at 11:03 am -
I do not see what is bizarre about the comment. Badly constructed, yes, but not bizarre.
God Bless
Comment by Leisure_suit_Larry on October 7, 2012 at 9:18 am
The comments are closed.
