Update: 22 June - Mr. S, removal stayed

Amnesty International has been notified this morning that Mr. S will not be removed from the UK on 23 June 2010, as originally intended. A court order has been issued against his removal from the UK and the UK Border Agency (UKBA) have deferred his removal for the time being. Arguments have been made by his lawyer that he is medically unfit to travel. Amnesty International continues to monitor his case for developments.

For updates and actions on refugees and asylum seekers, please visit www.amnesty.org.uk/asylum

Stop forcible returns to Mogadishu/Somalia  (Removal Thursday 23rd June)

Urgent Appeal from Amnesty International

Mr S, a 50 year-old Somali national, is due to be forcibly removed from the UK to Mogadishu, via Nairobi on 23 June. The UK authorities have maintained that Mr S is not at risk if returned to southern and central Somalia, despite the guidelines of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), updated on 5 May 2010, which call on all governments to not forcibly return individuals to southern and central Somalia.

Amnesty International believes that it is not safe to return Somali nationals to southern and central Somalia, including Mogadishu. All Somalis in these regions are at risk of being injured or killed in a context of generalised violence and indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, given the consistent failure of all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law.

In line with the UNHCR's position Amnesty International is opposed to all forcible returns to southern and central Somalia at the present time. We believe that all Somalis from southern and central Somalia should be granted refugee status or a complementary form of protection.

The UK's obligations under domestic and international law, including the 1951 Refugee Convention, the Convention against Torture and the European Convention on Human Rights, prohibit it from returning anyone to a country where they would be at risk of torture and other serious human rights violations.

UNHCR states that "in light of the risks to safety and security, ongoing armed conflict and the shifting armed fronts and ongoing widespread human rights violations, it cannot be considered reasonable for any Somali to relocate within or to southern and central Somalia".

Amnesty International reported in its 2010 Annual Report that in southern and central Somalia thousands of civilians were killed and injured and hundreds of thousands displaced by indiscriminate warfare. The humanitarian crisis has deepened, compounded by insecurity and threats against aid agencies. Serious human rights abuses, including war crimes, continue to be committed and remain unpunished.

What you can do to help

Amnesty have set up a dedicated web page, where you can:

Email the Minister of State (Borders & Immigration) calling for an end to attempts to forcibly return Somalis to Mogadishu

Go here to Email UK Immigration Minister . . . .