Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Only Phil Woolas and Alan Johnson can stop this girl crying


The Northern Echo has more today on the story of Elizabeth Kiwunga Rushamba, which I've been highlighting over the past couple of days.

This picture is her 4 year old daughter in tears, just before the British immigration authorities put her and her baby brother into a separate car from their mother, and drove them 250 miles from Darlington to Yarlswood detention centre.

From the Echo:
The Reverend Sheilagh Williamson, who the family have been staying with, said the experience had been a nightmare.

She said: “It was one of the most horrible experiences of my life. It was a nightmare.“The children were taken in a separate vehicle and Marie was crying and screaming that she wanted to stay with me. It was heartbreaking.”

She said violence that had erupted in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, was an extra worry, and added: “It is certainly no place to be sending a vulnerable woman with two young children.”

The family are due to be deported on Thursday, and it's highly likely that Elizabeth will be arrested, and her children put into an orphanage, due to her connections with opposition parties and stand on human rights abuses.

MP Alan Milburn also contacted Mr Woolas yesterday on Elizabeth’s behalf.
He said: “If there is anything Elizabeth’s supporters want us to do on her behalf, we will be happy to help.”

Contact details: this is urgent, after Thursday it will be too late.
Alan Milburn - alanmilburnmp@googlemail.com or call 01325 380366
Alan Johnson - public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk and/or johnsona@parliament.uk and/or windlet@parliament.uk or 020 7035 484
Phil Woolas public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

more details on Viv Neville's blog, and a supportive Facebook group. For a taster of life in Yarlswood for a detained family - what can only be described as institutionalised child abuse - go here.

No comments:

Post a Comment