Ivo Kuka fled his homeland after being tortured and sexually assaulted in Cameroon for membership of the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), who call for independence for English-speaking Southern Cameroon from French-speaking Republic of Cameroon. Let down by the fast-track detention system and his previous solicitors, Ivo has now been given the chance to appeal his asylum refusal, having already been threatened with removal. You can follow all the latest news on Ivo's campaign through the Facebook group.
Listen to Ivo tell his story on Refugee Radio
Ivo is in the detained fast track system
Persecuted in Cameroon
“I want people to know what has happened to me”
Ivo was a member of the SCNC in Cameroon, which calls for independence for southern-speaking Cameroon. Despite its motto being ‘the force of argument, not the argument of force’, the SCNC has been declared an illegal party by Cameroon’s president, Paul Biya.
Ivo attended an SCNC demonstration and was subsequently arrested by the police. He was detained for five days, during which he was tortured (hung upside down, beaten on the soles of his feet, beaten in the face for which he received stitches) and sexually assaulted.
Ivo was finally released, but his occupation as a taxi van driver brought him further trouble. On 29 September 2011, he unwittingly carried a group of passengers who enroute changed into military uniforms and armed themselves with guns. These men were responsible for the ‘Bonaberi Bridge incident’ in Douala calling for the end of President Biya’s rule, in which they “stopped traffic for over 3 hours. The men began firing their weapons into the air, presumably to gain attention and to stop traffic from crossing the bridge. Units from the National Police, the Gendarmes, and the Rapid Intervention Battalion (known by its French acronym “BIR”) responded to the scene and restored order after exchanging gunshots with the protestors.”
An arrest warrant for Ivo was issued, and sent to the police officer responsible for the region. This police officer knew Ivo well: he used to be a frequent passenger in Ivo’s taxi service, but Ivo had been avoiding him after the police officer - in Ivo’s presence - took a bribe to turn a blind eye to a serious crime. Ivo had no doubt that this police officer would stop at nothing to see him arrested for something he had not done, solely to protect his own reputation and job.
When Ivo claimed asylum in the UK he was placed in the detained fast-track (DFT) system.
From NCADC’s campaigning toolkit, section on Detained Fast Track (pages 58-59):
Time is very short if your case is put in the DFT category and this makes it very difficult for you to get good legal advice and gather the evidence you need. The detained fast track system accounts for a high proportion of the people deported from the UK. UKBA may claim that this shows the system is working, but to NCADC this is a matter of grave concern as so many people in need of protection are not getting the chance to explain and try to prove their story because of the time pressures the DFT system brings.
Read Detention Action’s excellent report on the problems in the Detained Fast Track system here.
Victims of torture should not have their claim processed in the detained fast track system. Ivo’s medical report in detention shows the scars from stitches in his lip that he needed after being beaten with a gun. Ivo also told the doctor about the sexual abuse he endured (something he had felt embarrassed to share with the female interviewing officers in his screening and asylum interview). The doctor did not put this information on his rule 35 report.
Ivo was told in his asylum interview he could submit further evidence. Ivo had arranged to have documentary evidence supporting his case sent across from Cameroon, but his asylum application was refused the day after his interview, giving him no time to submit the newly-arrived evidence. In detained fast track, you have only a few days to appeal a negative decision. Ivo’s lawyer told him she was working on the appeal, but with just hours to go until the appeal deadline, told him she was no longer representing him. At this point, there was no way Ivo could get alternative legal representation for his case. He sent a hand-written letter to the tribunal, pleading for more time.
Ivo was not given this time. Ivo and his supporters are desperately trying to get a fresh claim submitted, which includes vital evidence to prove his case, but are facing many obstacles including the enormous pressure on organisations, lawyers and the courts during UKBA's pre-Christmas purge of refused asylum seekers. Ivo's health is not good, and is getting worse all the time in detention.
7 February campaign update: Ivo's 29 December flight was stayed at the last minute, and his legal case continues. Ivo has just informed us he has been released from detention!
Write a letter of protest to the Home Secretary.
Ivo should not have had his case put in the fast-track system, and has been further let down by the legal system. It is vital that his appeal his heard and that he gets justice.
If you are sending letters or faxes, remember to sign and date the letters. If you receive any response from the Home Office, please let us know via [email protected]. It's best to write in your own words; alternatively you can use the example letter here.
Please remember to include Ivo's home office reference number K1680050.
Theresa May, MP
Secretary of State for the Home Office
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1 4DF
Fax
020 7035 4745
(00 44 20 7035 4745 if you are faxing from outside UK)
Email:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]