Life as a refugee support volunteer with it's occasional victories and frequent defeats.

Occasional Victories is a place for links, news, rants and raves about Refugee related issues.

If you would like to contribute just drop me an email at carigeen(a)yahoo.com

 
From the British Independent....

The Gangs of New Britain

Only the language and accents have changed from the 'Any chance of a sthaart?' days of the 1950's.

posted by Carigeen at Thursday, August 14, 2003

 
I'm back after the vacation....
and things have resumed their normal chaotic ways very fast indeed.

Got back from England on Tuesday afternoon and got a panic stricken call from M late that night.
A deportation order was served for her and her two kids, D and V, on Friday last.

Even though I've known her for two years this was the first time she has asked for help. I can do practically nothing as it's so late in the process.

She was scared of the police so I went to the Garda station with her on Friday as required by the deportation order.

First we had to pick up a letter from her solicitor. This was a truly remarkable waste of paper, "Please don't deport my client until we decide whether we should apply for a judicial review of the process".

The Gardai were very polite and professional. We had coffee in the interview room while they made a few phone calls and got the immigration office to fax down the instructions. These turned out to be "Report to Burg Quay on Friday 15th and we will have accommodation and transport arranged for you and the children."
I'd guess that they will be flown to South Africa on Saturday.

My advice is to go, her solicitor wants to go for a judicial review of the process.

I've little faith in a judicial review unless the process was spectacularly flawed. The only case I know of that worked was a situation where one member of a family got status and another member was refused, based on exactly the same information.

Legal aid does not apply for Judicial review so she will have to pay her own legal fees. She would be better spending the 1000 Euro on getting set up again in SA.

There are lots of family complications so I've no idea what she will do.
It certainly won't be what I advise!




posted by Carigeen at Monday, August 11, 2003