Harriet Grimshaw - "The Sukula Family Campaign"
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This is the text of the talk and ensuing discussion given by Harriet Grimshaw of the Sukula Family Campaign (http://www.sukula.org) at the Heaton & Lostock Labour Party's Branch meeting in July 2005.
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Harriet was warmly welcomed to the meeting. She began by saying that often, in these sort of anti-expulsion campaigns, the subject gets very personal. It's very important to separate what is right and what is wrong from the personalities involved and to look on the people involved as being either "worthy" or "unworthy", often ignoring what's going on in the country to which they would be returned.
The Sukula family comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which has been horrendously riven with wars and tribalism for very many years. The children's father has been imprisoned and had to flee from one of the militias which severely beat the mother. Two of the five children are at school in Bolton, one at the College and one has just done his GCSEs.
Because the mother doesn't speak English the "required formalities" were not followed to the letter when they claimed asylum and the family have been told that it cannot stay in the UK. But, because it's too dangerous for them to be sent back to the DRC it's not likely that they will actually be deported.
Brian Iddon has strongly supported the Sukulas and there has been a strong public campaign in Bolton spearheaded by the Bolton Evening News. As many people as possible should sign the BEN support coupons and send them back. Harriet said that it's refreshingly good that the campaign has been so widely supported in the town and the way in which the BEN has been at the forefront is to be applauded. She urged as many people as possible to attend the campaign rally on 13th July at Bolton Town Hall.
Harriet said that the Sukula campaign has brought to the fore other cases from sub-Saharan Francophone Africa in which the appellants have no legal support to argue very complex cases. She added that the 13th July public rally will be the first of a series with another in the autumn on immigration and asylum seeking in the Borough. We mustn't forget that the town has a proud history of helping refugees. In the 1930s 40 Basque children fleeing from the Spanish Civil War were brought to Bolton and cared for by the Council.
Harriet's talk was followed by a discussion and questions:
| Anne: | Steve Hughes from the BEN has been wonderful. |
| Harriet: | The campaign and plight of the family have caught the public's imagination and support has come from all sections of the community. The campaign has deliberately remained non-political and people from a wide range of groups are involved |
| Anne: | The Heaton area has been supporting a young man through St. Thomas of Canterbury who is also threatened with deportation to the DRC. He has now been released from detention and is staying with a family on Fourth Avenue whilst his case is being reviewed. Single men are more vulnerable than families, they don't have the "coo" factor and this is disgraceful. There is a major problem with Legal Aid for refugees, especially since they and asylum seekers have been dispersed. Specialist legal knowledge is needed and it often isn't available in many places. Once you are a "failed" asylum seeker then you can't get legal representation and you aren't even entitled to English language classes so that you can "help to help yourself" or at least understand what is going on. |
| Harriet: | The Sukula campaign highlights wider issues and the organisers would like to talk to as many groups as possible in the hope of getting further support. |
| John: | How wide is the campaign at present? |
| Harriet: | It includes many of the Churches and other religious groups, social groups, Labour and Lib-Dem parties and many, many individuals. |
| Graham: | I'm concerned that people can be refused asylum but then not be deported because the place from which they have come is considered too dangerous for them to be returned to. It just isn't logical. Surely, if the country is too dangerous to return to then by definition it is appropriate to grant asylum. |
| Harriet: | You'd think so, wouldn't you! |
There were further questions and answers and a discussion about this case in particular and the issues raised by it in general.
Anne proposed that "This Branch formally supports the Sukula Family campaign and that we write to the appropriate Minister pledging the Branch's support as well as seeking assistance from all three Bolton MPs". This was passed unanimously without discussion and John agreed to act immediately.
The Chair thanked Harriet for attending the meeting and the members for their interest and contributions. He declared the meeting closed at 9:30 pm and John thanked him and Anne for hosting it and for their hospitality
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