The family were in Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre for the first time in March. Jannatul Chowdhury was rushed to Bedford hospital - her daughter Nazifa (13) and her son Ishtiaque (17) were left in Yarl's Wood on their own. The children were later released from Yarl's Wood and Jannatul was able to join them when she was discharged from hospital.

Despite the fact that the mental health of all three has significantly deteriorated since then, and that the Home Office has not responded to a fresh claim submitted in July, the Chowdhury family have been detained at Yarl's Wood for a second time. They were woken on Monday morning at their home in Liverpool by hammering on the door and a snatch squad bundling them into caged vehicles. The family have been given "removal directions" for this Saturday, 22nd September at 10am.

"My mum is really worried, she doesn't stay in one place for more than a minute. She doesn't eat with us. Whenever I return to the room I see her hurting herself. She hits the wall with her head and when I stop her she bursts into tears - please do something"
Ishtiaque Chowdhury (17 years old)

Jannatul fled from Bangladesh with her family. Jannatul says that her children were kidnapped by members of the leading political party of Bangladesh, leaving her and her husband, Nauchad, no choice other than to pay the ransom. Jannatul says the authorities in Bangladesh refused to take any action over the kidnapping which left the family with the belief that they could never again be safe there. So they fled to Britain to seek asylum.

Naushad, died of a heart attack in December 2005. Emergency heart surgery had been cancelled 3 times. There is an ongoing negligence case being pursued against the Cardio Thoracic Unit of Liverpool NHS Trust following the Nauchad's death. He is buried in Liverpool, tying the family strongly to the area (photo above right - Jannatul and the children tend Nauchad's grave).

Since the family's release from Yarl's Wood in the spring, Jannatul has had numerous visits to the mental health crisis team. Her operation for gallstones has yet to take place, as she was too ill mentally to go through with this in July when she started seeing the crisis team. She is still awaiting a second date for surgery.

The family's fresh asylum claim is based on the possibility that if Jannatul were to commit suicide, the children would be left alone and uncared for and that the children already have mental health problems that would be exacerbated by their mother's death.

About Jannatul ; "Ms Chowdhury presents as a suicide risk with increasing intrusive suicidal thoughts ... and possibly Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - triggered and re-triggered by the combination and accumulation of recent life events"
Dr Julia Nelki, Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, 15th June 2007

About Nazifa, aged 13 ; "Nazifa has PTSD [post traumatic stress disorder]"
Dr Julia Nelki, Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, 15th June 2007

About Ishtiaque, aged 17 ; "Dr Nelki opines that Ishtiaque has significant symptoms of depression and has post traumatic stress disorder and an impaired mental state. He presents as a high risk from mental illness"
The family's legal representatives, 12th September 2007

Nazifa and Ishtiaque have been seen by psychiatrists at Alder Hey Children's hospital who are monitoring their progress. Both the psychiatrists involved with the treatment of mother and children have voiced grave reservations about the precipitous actions of the Home Office during the family's ongoing treatment. Jannatul is in a very fragile state and is confused and incoherent. This has left Ishtiaque carrying the full burden of his family's predicament. For a young person who has escaped kidnap, witnessed the death of his father and is going through the horror of snatch and detention for a second time, it is imposing an almost unbearable strain on this young man, who should be in school and studying hard for his University entrance. Instead he and his sister are banged up in a prison, facing deportation.

Jannatul is sadly missed at Asylum Link where she helped with the English classes and general volunteering. The childrens' classmates are furious that their friends have been snatched again and continue to campaign for their release (photo below - classmates at a public meeting)

The Chowdhury's legal representatives are preparing a Judicial Review.

Sep 19 2007 by Liza Williams, Liverpool Daily Post

What you can do to help:

1. Fax the Rt Hon Jaqui Smith MP, Secretary of State for the Home Office, using the model fax 'JannatulCMinister.doc' (please copy/amend/write your own version, quoting HO ref: C1167819) demanding that the family is released, pending consideration of their fresh claim and asking that they are allowed to remain in the UK and able to continue visiting their father's grave regularly.

Fax: 0207 035 3262 (from outside the UK +44 207 035 3262)

2. Fax James Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Air, urging him not to carry out the forced removal of this family - you can use the model fax 'JannatulGulfAir.doc' (please copy/amend/write your own version, quoting flight GF250 at 10.00 on Saturday 22nd September 2007)

Fax: 020 8600 7462 (from outside the UK +44 208 600 7462)

Please send copies of any faxes sent to:
Asylum Link Merseyside
St Anne's Centre
7 Overbury Street
Liverpool L7 3HJ
Tel: 0151 709 1713

Source for this Message:
Asylum Link Merseyside