| Good News! - Deaf Students Campaign
One Family Wins - One Family still Fighting
Sameeha and Kristine Must Stay! - Sameeha is staying
Following the human rights appeal for Nigar Sultana mother of Sameeha
Akthar, the adjudicator's determination concluded: "I accept that
there is a reasonable likelihood that this appellant's human rights under
Article 8 of the ECHR will be violated by her return to Pakistan. I allow
the human rights appeal."
So barring an appeal from the Home Office, for the 'Deaf Students Campaign'
half of this struggle is over, however for Kristine Mitrovska, Deaf Students
fight on.
Sameeha
and Kristine Must Stay!
A group of deaf students at City College
Manchester have started a campaign to support two of their group. Kristine
and Sameeha are deaf asylum seekers who want to stay in the UK.
Kristine Mitrovska, fled Latvia with
her mother last year. She is Roma, and her mother and her have experienced
many racist attacks in Latvia. Kristine's mother is very anxious about
Kristine going outside the home because of the trauma they faced in Latvia.
Both mother and daughter experienced assaults, stone throwing and exclusion.
As a member of the Roma minority who is also deaf, Kristine has no chance
of finding a job or getting further training in Latvia.
Kristine has adapted well to life in the
UK and has learned British Sign Language very quickly. She has enjoyed
studying in a multi racial society at City College Manchester where racism
is not tolerated. She is starting a course in Business Studies in September
2003.
Sameeha Akthar, has been badly affected
by her experiences in Pakistan; her sister is also deaf and both were
held hostage outside Karachi deaf school by a gunman. She has suffered
from depression and anxiety in the UK and is scared to go outside college
or home. She has not been able to take part in college activities, for
example a residential holiday, because of her anxieties.
Her family fled to the UK to escape the
relentless pressure of a government-backed gang. The gang was trying to
force Mr Hussain, Sameeha's father, to join in their activities. Sameeha
and her younger sister both have Usher syndrome, which means that they
are profoundly deaf and have a deteriorating visual loss like tunnel vision.
Sameeha would not be able to continue her
studies if she was forced to return to Pakistan. Here in the UK she has
good support at City College Manchester and wants to train so she can
work as a hairdresser. She could become a self-supporting member of Britain's
deaf community within 3 years. Her preferred language is British Sign
Language and she can communicate most fluently with other deaf British
people.
The British government is now trying to
kick the two families out of the UK. Sameeha and Kristine want to stay
here in safety. They want to continue their education in peace. Both of
them use British Sign Language to communicate.
What you can do to help:
Students at City College Manchester have
started a campaign to support Kristine and Sameeha. The Federation of
Deaf People, NATFHE City College Manchester and UNISON City College Manchester
are supporting the campaign.
If you would like to support the Sameeha
and Kristine Must Stay! campaign please contact us for leaflets, model
letters and petitions.
You
can use this model
letter to write to the Home Office.
You
can help us by writing to the Home Secretary asking him to show compassion
for Sameeha and Kristine and also by writing to their MPs. We will send
you model letters which you can copy/amend/use the information to write
your own and you can sign it and send it on. Petitions are also available.
A large campaign can make a difference to their
lives
Inquiries/further information
Sameeha and Kristine Must Stay!
400 Cheetham Hill Road
Manchester
M8 9LE
SMS: 07931 231 904
Tel: 0161 740 8206 (for hearing supporters)
Fax: 0161 740 7113
deafstudentsmuststay@yahoo.co.uk
www.geocities.com/deafstudentsmuststay
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