Campaign from Migrant Artists Mutual Aid, Liverpool.

Amina’s story

Last Friday our friend Amina, who has fled domestic violence and abuse in Pakistan, was detained by UKBA without warning whilst reporting in Liverpool. She has been held at Yarl’s Wood detention centre since then, and today received notice that she will be deported back to Pakistan on Tuesday 1 October.

Whilst in detention Amina has not had access to a legal aid solicitor due to the waiting list at Yarl’s Wood and therefore has not been able to build a case against her deportation. The lack of access to justice has been exacerbated by the large number of women suddenly in need of urgent legal advice, due to the sheer numbers of deportees involved in charter flights.

She has also been denied access to her essential medication for depression, which combined with being wrenched away from her support network in Liverpool is having a serious effect on her mental health.

Survivor of domestic violence

Having fled Pakistan after seeing her mother murdered by her abusive father, Amina was then subjected to further domestic abuse by her brother here in the UK, from whose house she escaped to claim asylum. Amina’s father is a powerful man in Pakistan who has not been brought to justice for his crimes because of his connections, and we have grave fears for her safety should she be returned there. She is young, vulnerable and has no family to return to, and her father has threatened to hunt her down wherever she goes.

Despite everything she has endured, Amina is an enthusiastic, energetic and generous member of our community in Liverpool and has played a key role in the running of a weekly support group for women asylum seekers fleeing from gender-based crimes. Her deportation would be a great loss to the community that is already devastated by her detention in Yarl’sWood.

Amina needs your help – NOW. If we do not stop Tuesday’s charter flight from departing, Amina will be unfairly removed, along with a large number of other asylum seekers who may also have had no access to legal representation.

Sexual abuse in Yarl’s Wood

There is currently a police investigation into sexual abuse of detainees by guards at Yarl’s Wood; therefore every current detainee is potentially a witness with valuable evidence to give. The Observer newspaper has been reporting on this shocking story, demonstrations have been held outside the Home Office in London, and there are calls for a public enquiry.

The flight on Tuesday must not be allowed to depart; no more removals or deportations must take place from Yarl’s Wood while the police investigation is ongoing.

Background on Charter Flights

See also Stop Deportations website and read Corporate Watch/Stop Deportation report: ‘Are the UK’s mass deportation charter flights lawful’?

For deportation charter flights immigration authorities hire a whole aircraft to deport lots of people at once. These flights do not appear on airport departure boards, they do not have set departure times or locations and are totally hidden from public view, making it harder for deportees to generate a public protest around their removal and allowing for greater use of force and violence onboard. Standard practice on charter flights is for each deportee to be shadowed by at least two security guards, handcuffed and forced onto the plane under the threat of violence.

The legality of these charter flights is questionable as they limit refugees’ access to due legal process - the short notice given to detainees (5 working days notice before the flight departure) combined with the flooding of immigration detention centres with deportees in the weeks prior to the departure make it practically impossible for everyone booked onto the flight to access legal representation and to have the time to properly challenge the removal.