Amdani Juma is an asylum seeker who lives and works in Nottingham. He was due to be deported today. A more deserving case is unlikely to be found. The text below is an extract from the Institute of Race Relations website.
Amdani, a torture survivor, came to the UK in March 2003 as a UN - sponsored asylum seeker and was granted humanitarian protection. Many of his family and friends were tortured and some were murdered. Many others like him were forced into exile. Amdani settled in Nottingham and worked at the Nottingham and Notts Refugee Forum (NNRF) for two years. Amdani was selected to serve the Home Office itself, on the Community and Media sub-group of its social policy body, the National Refugee Integration Forum, under John Reid. This post ran from 2005 to March 2007, just before his leave to remain was rescinded.
He has been involved in other national organisations including HIV-awareness campaigns (National African HIV Prevention Program and African HIV Policy Network) and refugee organisations (The National Refugee Integration Forum and Refugee Action). Locally, he has worked in the Nottingham Council Tenants' Forum and advises Nottinghamshire Social Services and other East Midlands bodies on asylum issues.
Amdani is a UNISON member and when I was made aware of his case last year, I passed it on to UNISON's head office and Dave Prentis, UNISON's General Secretary wrote directly to the Home Office to plead his case. Unfortunately the Home Office ignored these pleas and Amdani was scheduled to be deported today.
Yesterday there was a rally in The Old Market Square where Alan Simpson, MP for Nottingham South and Jon Collins, Leader of Nottingham City Council both spoke out against the decision to deport Amdani.
Amdani's deportation has now been delayed for 6 days and it is vital that as many people as possible campaign for him to remain in the UK. There is an online petition that I would urge everyone to sign. Amdani has been a fantastic asset to Nottingham since he started living here and he deserves to stay.
For more information about his case check out The Friends of Amdani Juma website.
2 comments:
Lilian,
I hope that you will also speak out, as Alan has done, in support of Hicham Yezza, in defence of academic freedom, and against police harrasment of people who possess research material freely available on reputable web pages and Amazon.
Best wishes,
Adam
Lilian,
I am very grateful to people in Nottingham for giving me their support by signing a petition and coming to show support at the Market Square.
Your support means a lot to people who are here in Nottingham for so many reasons including us who seek sanctuary from Genocide, Killings and lack of basic human rights in our countries of origin.
I believe in the Right to seek Political Asylum and that why I came to the UK in March 2003 and was granted Humanitarian Protection. I came with skills that I gain from working with Red Cross, Red Crescent Societies and their International Federation. I also came here with degree in electrical engineering and computers. I came here with languages that I used to support both officials and people they are working with in many fields i e Health, Employment, Housing, Benefit and Integration to ESOL classes.
I am sure British people want information about why refugees are here in the UK. I believe that the British people are very kind,generous and intelligent people. I have more than five years experience of living in Nottingham and visit UK in my work; and I am very happy to say that. They like to be informed and listen to radio, watch TV and read newspapers. People who are seeking asylum here are not illegal. They are known by the UK government and they report to the Home Office regularly to show that they wish to live here because it is a country of Asylum. They want to go to college to learn English. They want to contribute to the British society with their skills. They need friendship and care. They have stories to tell. Many of them are physically able to work and show they are grateful to be allow in the country.
Thanks for supporting my case for Indefinite Leave to Remain(ILR) rights
Amdani
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