22nd
December 2009
Outrageous
treatment of a child
Since
Child M’s release from detention on 8th December 2009,
the Child M Campaign has learnt that Child M was held for
a period of 8 hours on his own by detaining officers on
the day of the family’s detention.
This
outrageous situation arose when Child M’s mother collapsed
at the family home as they were being detained. When detaining
officers were unable to stabilise her condition themselves,
they called for an ambulance. Child M’s mother was
then taken to hospital in Manchester along with Child M’s
elder brother to act as an interpreter.
Child
M was left on his own with detaining officers. After remaining
at home for a short while, he was taken to the hospital
in a vehicle. He was held in the vehicle outside the hospital
for a period of several hours.
During
the time he spent alone with the deteining officers, Child
M was questionned about his sisters’ whereabouts.
It
is unjustifiable to hold a child, alone, with no adult whose
job it is to represent his interests. The fact that he was
held for such a long period in a vehicle beggars belief.
Our understaning is that it is also illegal to question
a child without a responsible adult with them.
REPORT
in the Guardian here
8th
December 2009
They are out!
Dear
all,
Child
M and his family have been released from detention tonight
after 3 weeks in Yarls Wood. No reason has been given. They
are on their way home to Manchester.
A massive
thank you to everyone who's helped in the past few weeks
from all of us involved in the Child M campaign.
This
is a great result. The campaign for their right to remain
in the UK continues.
We'll
update the website as soon as more details become available.
With
very best wishes,
Emma
on behalf of Child M Campaign
4th
December 2009
Child M campaign meets Phil
Woolas
Representatives from the Child M Campaign met with Phil
Woolas tonight, Friday 4th December 2009, at his constituency
office in Oldham.
Teachers
from Child M’s school, neighbours, friends and school
friends held a candlelit vigil outside and were invited
in to speak to Mr Woolas.
Mr
Woolas was handed an open letter asking for Child M and
his family to be released and given leave to remain in the
UK signed by, amongst others, Baroness Haleh Afshar, Michael
Rosen and Professor Ted Cantle OBE.
Teachers
from Child M’s school expressed their deep concerns
about the effect of continued detention on Child M’s
mental health and well being.
Mr
Woolas was also handed a poster made and signed by Child
M’s friends at school asking for their friend to be
allowed to come home.
Phil
Woolas was asked to intervene immediately to release Child
M and his family from detention and to secure their right
to remain in the UK.
Mr
Woolas agreed to:
· “request the family’s
file and have a look at it”
· speak again with Sir Gerald Kaufman (the MP for
Gorton North who intervened to prevent their deportation)
· to consider the request to release the family.
Child
M’s family’s fresh evidence was yesterday rejected
by the UK Border Agency.
Representatives
from the Child M Campaign asked for his personal guarantee
that the family would not be removed immediately. The campaign
were given assurances that the deportation of the family
is not imminent.
The
campaign looks forward to a swift response from Mr Woolas
in the early part of next week.
We
remain deeply concerned for the welfare of Child M and his
family and look forward to welcoming them back to Manchester.

Ist
December 2009
CHILD M PLEA
We
continue to be extremely concerned for the welfare of Child
M whilst he is being detained. He is showing concerning
signs of deterioration in his mental health.
Child
M is a 9 year old boy. He and his family are facing deportation
to Iran where they face certain persecution. They are currently
being held in Yarls Wood Immigration Removal Centre, where
they spent 52 days in the summer of 2008.
Thank
you very much to those people who have already responded
to our email. We value everyone’s support and really
appreciate your interest.
Here
is a letter that we're sending to the press demanding
Child M's immediate release. The first people to sign are
Michael Rosen and Baronness Haleh Afshar. We need to get
as many people to sign as possible to ensure the safety
of Child M and his family.
If
you have not managed to contact us so far please email us
a response in support of the attached letter which we will
then forward to the HHome Secretary. Please email us yes
by Thursday at 6.00
If
there is any other way you could help please contact us.
Please find legal
statement and background
document we've been sending out from the Child M campaign
this week. The documents give some background that people
will find helpful.
All
the evidence available to us at the moment suggests that
imprisonment at Yarls Wood is having a very damaging effect
on Child M and his family. We need to act to get him and
his family released immediately.
Many Thanks
Child
M Campaign

21st
November 2009
Deportation halted
-
the campaign continues
We were advised just before the flight deadline last night
that the family of Child M has been returned to Yarl's Wood
and the deportation abandoned for the time being. We are
continuing to press for the full release as a nine year
old child is being locked up in a detention centre, which
is utterly inhumane.
BMI
was deluged with calls and there was widespread lobbying
of Gerald Kaufman that we want to continue. People can also
contact the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, to make their
views on bundling children on to planes quite clear. We
also contacted the national and local press and received
considerable interest in a very short time. This helped
to focus the minds of the Home Office and BMI.
Thank
you to yourself and everyone who has acted on Child M's
behalf.
We
will need to do so again.
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