| Borisenko
Family must stay!
Valeriy & Natalia Borisenko are a Latvian
couple who have settled in the UK having both suffered persecution in
their own country.
Their story is one of struggle against
the persecution they left behind and the system which has refused them
asylum despite the evidence they have produced in support of their claims
and the contribution they are both making to their local community in
West Lothian, Scotland.
As Valeriy himself says: "If ours
is not a case for leave to remain on humanitarian grounds; then what is?"
Valeriy was born in Latvia, but became
stateless after Latvia became an independent state. He speaks no Latvian
and has no home or family links in that country.
A 1993 UNHCR report recommends that Latvia
must grant citizenship to those stateless persons born within its territory,
however, Valeriy has been unable to obtain travel documents.
He came to the UK 6 years ago following
years of being repeatedly arrested, interrogated and ill-treated because
he was openly critical of the authorities. Before Latvia gained independence,
he was a target of the KGB, then latterly became a focus for the Latvian
authorities because of his comments about the 'democracy' of the new regime.
Valeriy's application for asylum was refused,
and he was arrested on 13th May 2002 and detained at Dungavel Detention
Centre prior to removal on 17th May. On that occasion, his friends rallied
round to find legal representation and he was released because
the Immigration Services were acting in contravention of Article 8 of
the ECHR.
Natalia, who lived in Latvia, is of mixed
ethnicity; her parents being Polish/Russian. She became a target for persecution
by nationalists in 1990 at the time of independence. Valeriy was regularly
tortured and finally fled in 1997.
A few weeks later, Natalia was attacked
when she left her home to visit her mother in the town of Valmiera. Although
the incident was reported to the police; they did nothing to bring her
attacker to justice and she later moved away.
Natalia subsequently heard that that man
had committed a murder and she was asked to give evidence at his trial.
The man was an ethnic Latvian, and this time he was convicted and was
sentenced to life imprisonment.
Natalia was granted a Latvian passport
in 1999 and was able to visit her husband in the UK. At that time, the
couple were optimistic that Valeriy's asylum claim would be determined
and that Natalia would be able to join him in the UK. For that reason;
she did not claim asylum herself, but returned home and waited compliantly
for (they thought) justice to take its course.
In 2000 she was attacked again in Valmiera
and suffered stab wounds. She went to hospital. Under Latvian law there
is a requirement that all injuries treated at hospital should be reported
to the police, but this was not done.
At Natalia's appeal hearing, the adjudicator
was dismissive of this incident, saying there was no evidence of any injury,
- yet Natalia has a visible scar!
They fear their lives will be at risk if
they are returned to Latvia, The Government claim that Latvia is conforming
to EU Human Rights legislation; yet Human Rights Reports show evidence
of police misconduct in 1999, 2000 & 2001. There is further information
in Amnesty's Helsinki Federation for Human Rights Report for Latvia 2002.
A US State Department report shows that prison conditions in Latvia are
very poor and that police commit human rights abuses.
Valeriy and Natalia have the support of many
friends and work colleagues. Valeriy is self-employed and Natalia worked
as a care assistant until the birth of their baby daughter, Alexandra
in May 2003, who they describe as 'a real
Scottish Lassie!'
The couple are self-sufficient, hard-working
and will make a tremendous contribution to their local community if allowed
to stay in Scotland.
Their Appeal Tribunal is due to be heard on 27th
August. Their MP Robin Cook has raised concerns with the Home Office.
What you can do to help:
Please write/fax a letter
of support to Beverley Hughes MP Minister for Citizenship and Immigration:
model letter attached,
copy amend, write your own.
Faxing from the UK: 020 7273 2043
From outside the UK: + 44 20 7273 2043
or write to:
Beverley Hughes MP
Minister for Citizenship and Immigration
Home Office
50 Queen Anne's Gate
London
SW1H 9AT
Please send copies to:
Borisenko Family Must Stay Campaign!
c/o NCADC
66 Dovecot Street
Stockton-on-Tees
TS18 1LL
Enquiries/further information;
Kath Sainsbury
01642 679298
ncadc-north-east@ncadc.org.uk
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