Dushy & Tiffany belong to Gorton
'Dushy' and Tiffany came to Manchester four years ago and now the Home Office intends to deport them on Thursday 8th March 2012.
Tiffany is six years old. She was born in England and has lived in England for her whole life. She is a bright girl who is doing well at school. Tiffany speaks only English and has no knowledge or understanding of life in Sri Lanka. For Tiffany, Sri Lanka is an alien land that she couldn't even recognise on the map and yet the Home Office wishes to send her there.
Tiffany is of mixed ethnicity (Dushy is Sri Lankan and Tiffany's father is African) so Tiffany's skin colour is very dark and she has distinctive African hair. In Sri Lanka, racial discrimination is widespread, stemming from the war between the Tamils and Singhalese people. If Tiffany were to be sent to Sri Lanka, she would face daily bullying and cruelty for her skin colour and the fact that she is illegitimate (she was born to parents who were not married and are no longer together). She would not have equal opportunities with other children and this would continue throughout her adult life. This would extend to her schooling, her job prospects and even her standing with the justice system. Yet the Home Office wants to send her to Sri Lanka.
Dushy and Tiffany are both Christians. Dushy became a Christian four years ago and is actively involved in a church in Gorton. In Sri Lanka, there is theoretical religious freedom but in practice, Christians who want to be active in their faith are regularly persecuted. State schools refuse to accept Christian children or if accepted force the children to study Buddhism. We know of a number of people who have been given asylum in the UK because they were so badly persecuted for their Christian faith. Yet the Home Office wants to send Dushy and Tiffany to live in Sri Lanka.
Being an asylum seeker is a very difficult position to live in. But despite this, Dushy has tirelessly volunteered at the Oasis Centre in Gorton for the last three years. She has helped many people in this community to resolve issues with housing, debt, financial worries, benefits and more. Dushy is a huge asset to the community of Gorton and there are many hundreds of people who have been helped because of her involvement and love for this community. Yet the Home Office wants to send her to Sri Lanka.
Dushy and Tiffany have built a life as a family in England. Tiffany is surrounded by people one who she calls Nana and she also has many 'aunts' and 'uncles' and they are the only extended family she has never known. They have a loving church family and many friends who support them. Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights provides a right to 'a private and family life' and yet the Home Office wants to send Dushy and Tiffany to Sri Lanka.
Please become a part of this campaign - we must do all we can to help them remain in this country.
1) Please show your support by contacting the Home Secretary to ask that Dushy and Tiffany be allowed to stay.
You can write a letter to ask the Home Secretary to use her powers to grant protection and leave to remain. It helps if you can write a personal letter, but you can download and use the wording of the Dushy-TM-ModelLetter.doc if it helps. . Always remember to include Dushy's Home Office reference number: C1070572
You can fax the Home Secretary on fax number 0207 035 4745.
Emai to these addresses:
mayt@parliament.uk
Emails: Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
"CIT - Treat Official" <CITTO@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk>
Or post to:
Rt. Hon Theresa May, MP
Secretary of State for the Home Office,
2 Marsham St London SW1P 4DF
Please remember to include Dushy's Home Office reference number - C1070572
2) Show your support for Dushy and Tiffany by visiting and 'liking' their Campaign Facebook Page
http://www.facebook.com/groups/265219463551062/
Whatever action you take, please let the campaign know:
Email watkins123456789@aol.com |