Abazi Family Must Stay - Urgent Request for Action

Selami and Emsale Abazi are Albanian asylum seekers from Kosovo who have lived in Manor Park in East London for almost six years. They have three young children all born in London, their son Anid aged 5 and their two daughters, Artina and Adzina aged three and one.

Yesterday Monday 27th October the family were taken into detention at Tinsley House near Gatwick Airport and told they will be deported to Germany on Friday 31st October from where they believe they will be returned to Kosovo.

Two weeks ago Mrs Abazi suffered a miscarriage and is still having health problems including bleeding.

In 1989 both Mr. And Mrs. Abazi took part in demonstrations protesting against the removal of Kosovo's autonomous status. These demonstrations were broken up by the police who beat up and arrested protesters. In March 1989 Mr. Abazi was arrested and detained during a demonstration; he was beaten by police and then released without charge. The previous month a friend of his was shot dead in front of him by the Serb police.

In 1990 Mr. Abazi joined the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and was involved in organising meetings and cultural events. The LDK was founded in 1989; it supports the independence of Kosovo by peaceful means but was treated by the authorities as illegal and many members have been beaten, harassed and killed. After receiving conscription papers to fight in the Serb army in Bosnia, in a war he felt was unjust on 11.2.93 Mr Abazi fled Kosovo and claimed asylum in Germany.

Mrs. Abazi who at this time was engaged to Mr. Abazi, was also a member of the LDK. In 1993 her family home was targeted by the police who said they were searching for illegal weapons. This harassment continued for three months and most of the family furniture was destroyed. In January 1997 her sister was arrested and detained and Mrs. Abazi went into hiding and left for Germany to join Selami. In February 1998 they were refused asylum in Germany and travelled to the UK to claim asylum. Their son Anid was born in July 1998 and their two daughters, Artina and Adzina were born in 2000 and 2002.

Mr. Abazi had to leave Kosovo 10 years ago and his wife 6 years. They have been in the UK for nearly six years. In September 2000 he heard that his first cousin Hajrush Abazi who had also been a member of the LDK had been killed by the armed group the Kosovo Liberation Army. Although also Albanian this group has perpetrated violence against other ethnic Albanians who belong to different political factions. (see Human Rights Watch Report http://www.hrw.org/wr2k3/europe17.html ) The family fear that they would be returned to Kosovo if they are sent back to Germany. They fear persecution from the KLA if they are returned.

In April 1999 the Immigration Service Dover East wrote to the Abazi's solicitors to say that Kosovo Albanians, under the provisions of the Dublin Convention, were not being removed to Germany. At that time the British Government considered that it would be dangerous for Albanians to be returned to Kosovo. The Abazi family have been left in limbo; they have attempted to integrate into British society and their 3 children were born here. If their case had been dealt with in 1999 they would presumably have been given leave to remain in the UK. It is exactly for people like the Abazi's that the recent amnesty was announced.

Please act quickly to save this family.

What you can do to help
Fax/write to the Home Secretary David Blunkett, using the model letter 'Attached', which you can copy/amend/write your own.
Fax no: 020 7273 3965 from outside the UK + 44 20 7273 3965

Or write to:

David Blunkett
Home Secretary
Home Office
50 Queen Anne's Gate
London SW1H 9AT

Please take time to send a copy of anything sent to:
Abazi Family Campaign
c/o NCADC
Cambridge House
131 Camberwell Road
London SE5 0HF

Enquiries/further information:
Allison Bennett
Phone: 020 7701 5197
ncadc-london@ncadc.org.uk