Amdani Juma support rally in the Market Square on Friday 24th July at 5.15pm. Click on Read More for the latest Press Release with background to Amdani’s campaign to stay in Nottingham.

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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum. Friends of Amdani Juma

Contacts:
Rob Peutrell – 07846765761
Cathy Meadows 07913476905

Monday 20 July 2009

Nottingham City Award Winner, Amdani Juma, faces new threat of removal despite no Home Office decision

Nottingham City award winner Amdani Juma, has been informed by the Home Office that he must leave the UK or face up to 6 months imprisonment and enforced removal to Burundi, even though an official Home Office determination regarding his application to remain in the UK has yet to be made.

In an unprecedented approach which may be wrong in law, the Home Office have notified Amdani of their intention to remove him but have avoided making a formal immigration decision which would provide him with the right of appeal. The 2008 winner of the City of Nottingham Inspiration Award could be removed at any time even though the legal process has not been completed. Solicitor’s acting on behalf of Amdani are in contact with the Home Office in an attempt to get a formal decision.

400 signatures were collected on behalf of Amdani last weekend and a rally is planned to protest against the Home Office actions.

A friend says:

“It seems like the Home Office can do what they want. They play foul, but it’s Amdani who gets the red card. He’s not just a number – he’s a person – he’s even been voted an inspiration to Nottingham! I can’t imagine the impact that this is having on his life; imprisonment, denied work, and now kept in immigration limbo with the constant threat of deportation hanging over his head, it’s shameful – these should be the best years of his life.”

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Amdani was awarded the 2008 City of Nottingham Inspiration Award for making a significant contribution towards enriching life in the city.

http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/pressreleases/view_article.asp?ReleaseID=4983

Paper petitions in support of Amdani total 3,200.

The online petition http://www.petitiononline.com/amdani/petition.html contains many testimonials from the community and has over 2,800 signatures. Signatories include Alan Simpson MP, Noam Chomsky.

Amdani Juma’s solicitor is Hani Zubeidi of Fadiga and Co Solicitors, London

Amdani Juma, a refugee HIV prevention and community worker in Nottingham,
was detained by the immigration authorities on Friday 30th May 2008 and was nearly deported. He was released in June 2008 following a massive local campaign and pending a Judicial Review.

Alan Simpson MP for Nottingham South and Nottingham Council leader Jon Collins have both spoken out about Mr Amdani’s proposed removal. Amdani’s HIV/AIDS prevention work has had local and national significance and groups have spoken out against the decision that his staying in the UK was not in the interests of the community.

Amdani is a Burundian national. In 2003, he was granted 3 years Humanitarian Protection but his later application for Indefinite Leave to Remain was turned down. A further application for discretion by the Home Office was also refused resulting in his detention. He was released in June 2008.

Ends
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12 noon rally in Albert Square outside Manchester Town Hall. Followed by Mass Bike Ride from Albert Square to Manchester Airport. Then 2pm rally outside Pennine House Detention Centre – Meet outside Terminal 2.

Abolish Pennine House

2,500 people are currently locked up in 13 British immigration prisons. Phil Woolas, the minister for immigration and borders, is seeking the expansion of the detention estate to 4,000 spaces. 30,000 people pass through one of those prisons every year, including 2,000 children. All are held for indefinite periods without trial or sentence.

Some of these people are imprisoned in Pennine House, the immigration prison located airside at Manchester Airport in Terminal 2. Pennine House can now hold up to 32 detainees, double its previous capacity. As a so-called residential short-term holding facility, it can hold people for up to seven days until they are released, deported or transferred to other ‘long-term’ detention centres.

Pie more government ministers

Meanwhile, Phil Woolas’ office in Oldham is only a few miles away. And while hundreds of innocent people are kept in prison with no knowledge of when they will be released, he continues to make xenophobic and nationalist statements at every opportunity.

Phil Woolas may be trying to undermine the BNP, by demonstrating that New Labour are equally capable of using racist and xenophobic rhetoric. However, in using many of the same arguments as the BNP does, Woolas is actually lending them credibility. The only way to fight the BNP is by completely rejecting the nationalism and xenophobia promoted by the
government.

Once it becomes acceptable to imprison someone arbitrarily and indefinitely, we are all at risk of suffering the same fate. We can already see this with Woolas’ determination to bring in ID cards for everyone and to monitor and retain all our cross-border movements in a secret database in Wythenshawe.

This is why activists from Manchester No Borders attempted to check Phil Woolas’ passport at a public debate last October, and when he refused this landed him a custard pie in the face.

The story so far…

Pennine House closed for expansion in spring last year. From when we could expose Carillion plc as the construction company to expand the prison, No Borders put pressure on this detention profiteer, forcing them to step up security at their Manchester office. Unfortunately, Woolas could re-open the prison last December.

Earlier this month, we took the issue directly to Manchester City Council leader Richard Leese, who is also the Chair of the Committee for the Shareholders of Manchester Airport. When 100 jumpers were dumped in front of him and information leaflets handed out to the audience, he was visibly embarrassed to continue his presentation of Manchester as a cosmopolitan and inclusive city.

And last Friday, in the most high-profile action against Pennine House so far, 20 activists were able to enter the office of Phil Woolas and to ‘detain’ him symbolically for 30 minutes until police officers could ‘free’ him.

On Saturday 21st March, we will reiterate our demand of the immediate closure of Pennine House and all immigration prisons, and that everyone be free to come and go as they please, regardless of the country of their birth.

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Join us for a rally at noon in Albert Square outside Manchester Town Hall with speakers from No Borders, the Anarchist Federation Manchester, No One Is Illegal, the Manchester Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers, and other
groups.

Mass Bike Ride from Albert Square to Manchester Airport (should take about 90minutes); or join others on the train (funds for train fares will be available for refugees and asylum seekers).

Rally at 2pm outside Pennine House Detention Centre – Meet outside Terminal 2.

More info:

• Pennine House in Corporate Watch: http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=3183
• The custard pie attack: http://nobordersmanchester.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-cant-do-this-hes-government.html
• Exposing detention profiteers: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/392863.html
• Jumpers for the council leader: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/manchester/2009/03/423407.html
• Immigration minster detained: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/manchester/2009/03/424174.html
• Keep up to date: http://www.manchesternoborders.org.uk/

Location of demo:
Campsfield House IRC
Langford Lane
Kidlington
Oxfordshire
OX5 1RE

No Borders Nottingham sends solidarity greetings and hopes that the action will achieve some change, with the closing of Campsfield as just the start!

Read more info about the hunger strike started by 13 Iraqi Kurdish detainees against their continued detention and threatened deportation to Iraq, which is now supported by many others who are incarcerated in Campsfield, on BBC Oxfordshire website…
Asylum seekers on hunger strike (12 August 2008):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/7556290.stm

See also: Campsfield claims ‘unsurprising’ (mistreatment of detainees, 15 July 2008):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/7507882.stm

Hich on mobile phone: “thank you … and hopefully we can all join in another demonstration to celebrate my release … you are a credit to Nottingham, a credit to Nottingham University, and a credit to students and student activism, and community activism”.

Free Hicham Yezza!

http://www.frictiontv.com/ftv_debate.php%5C?debate_id=3206

We urge as many people to join us to protest against his deportation back to Burundi due to take place on Wednesday 4th June. We are hoping that the local press and TV stations will be there so the more people supporting him the bigger the publicity his case will receive, and the more chance we have of stopping his deportation.

We are also planning another demonstration on Monday 2nd June in the Market Square @ 5pm.

More details will follow with regard to the ways you can help the campaign. Please come and join us – and bring your family and friends.

History

Of mixed Tutsi & Hutu parentage, Amdani was evacuated to Kenya by UN troops during the Rwandan genocide. Returned to Burundi, where he was detained, beaten and placed under surveillance. He fled from Burundi again in Feb. 2003 when friends who were fellow party members were killed by government militia.

Has no family in Burundi. Most close relatives are dead or missing. A sister has refugee status in Holland and two cousins, in UK.

He applied for asylum in UK in March 2003. His asylum claim was refused but he was granted 3 years’ Humanitarian Protection’ until 1 May 2006. He then applied for Indefinite leave to Remain which was refused after 15 months’ delay.

An appeal was made to the Immigration Tribunal under Article 8 of the European Convention which concerns an individual’s right to respect for their private life. The Court’s negative determination was received on 24/12/07.

Since his arrival in the UK, Amdani has been receiving medical treatment for psychiatric problems which have been diagnosed as Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

During five short years, Amdani has built up an amazing and unique record of service to the community â?? especially â?? but not only to refugees and asylum seekers â?? in the City, the region and nationally. His unstinting and tireless work at both the Refugee Forum and the Terence Higgins Trust, as well as his own organisation ‘African Institute for Social Development’ set up specifically to campaign and provide information for the prevention of HIV / AIDS, has earned the respect and admiration of colleagues, volunteers,as well as refugees from a wide range of ethnic and religious backgrounds, for his dedication, integrity, and unstinting efforts on behalf of the disadvantaged.

This was amply illustrated by the support given to him in his recent appeal when dozens of people wanted to provide positive witness statements and more than fifty accompanied him to the Court.

Amdani has already made a very full contribution to British society and built up a wealth of goodwill and a wide circle of friends. He has much more to offer Britain if he were to be granted Indefinite Leave to Remain. Integration is now a key policy of the Government; Amdani is a great role model of how to do this and has assisted many others to move towards this goal. His combination of knowledge, skills, linguistic and interpersonal, a burning commitment to Equal opportunities and Human Rights and an understanding of the difficulties faced by refugees in striving to rebuild their lives, all make Amdani unique.

If he is deported to Burundi where he fears his life would be in danger, the public and private life that he has built so successfully, would be destroyed â?? and our community would be the poorer.

Around 60 people demonstrated in Nottingham’s market square over the lunchtime period, some singing in protest. 500 information leaflets were handed out and the response from passers-by was positive. The protest then made its way to The Bridewell courts area next to the canal. More details to follow soon, regarding the result of the hearing.

New National Photos

Nottingham – additional report with photographs: DRC Deportations Demo (April 12) & Demonstrations against Congo deportations – a report on both demos on the Nottingham and Notts Refugee Forum home page.

Reports from other April 12th demos … Birmingham: Over 250 DR Congolese on Anti-Deportation demo in Birmingham & Solihull Protest Against Deportations to DRC & Police Mar Peaceful Protest Against DRC Deportations in Solihull – includes photos. London: Protest against deportations to DRC – includes video.

It’s happened! … report on Indymedia – Gatwick Protest: No More Immigration Prisons - Over 100 people held a lively protest in Crawley, West Sussex…

Congolese, Zimbabwean, Iraqi, Afghan, Somali asylum seekers of other nationalities stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Sudanese, the latest targets of the Home Office’s most shameful, vile attacks.

Source: NCADC. READ MORE on Indymedia: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/04/366836.html

Between 60 and 80 people, including other asylum seekers (showing wonderful and much appreciated solidarity) & supporters from the host community, joined our vibrant Congolese community. We were-well received by people in the Market Square, who took the leaflet and asked for more information, and many signed our petition. We also learned more about the hundreds of people killed in Congo in recent weeks. Several Congolese did excellent interviews with the BBC locally too, and the coverage they gave on the local news tonight was postive and accurate (See the video! – Leicester then Nottingham then Congo [attachment=4]) . We then marched to the Bridewell Magistrates Court and sang and even danced for sanctuary (See the photos from Nottingham demo!- click to see full size images). More photos expected on Notts indymedia.