Emmanuel Da Silva didn't fly on Friday after he managed, with the help of friends, to successfully lodge an application for a judicial review in the High Court only one hour before his removal flight was about to take off.
He's currently in Brookhouse Detention Centre next to Gatwick airport.
Emanuel wants to thank everyone who sent faxes and emails to help!
We hope he'll be out of detention soon
Help keep Emmanuel Da Silva in Glasgow with his partner & Child
What you can do to help
1) Email/Fax/ Fernando Pinto - Chief Executive Officer (CEO) TAP Air Portugal. Request that as CEO he does not allow Air Portugal to facilitate UKBA's immigration enforcement policies. UKBA themselves are clear it is up to the airline who they carry, and that the captain of the flight is the ultimate authority on who can board.
Download Model letter AirPortugalFP.doc. You can copy, amend or write your own version - if you do please remember to include the following: Emmanuel Da Silva an unwilling passenger being removed against his will on Friday 25th February @ 18.15 hrs on TAP- Air Portugal flight TP 357 departing London Heathrow bound for Lisbon for onward transit to Angola.
Fernando Pinto - Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
TAP Air Portugal
Chapter House
22 Chapter Street
London
SW1P 4NP
Customer Care: fale.connosco@tap.pt
Fax: 020 7932 3634 Administration
Fax: 020 7932 3611 Ticket office
2) Email/Fax Theresa May, Home Secretary
Ask her exercise her discretionary powers to stop the forced removal of Emmanuel Da Silva . Download model letter EmmanuelDaSilvaTM.doc. You can copy, amend or write your own version - if you do please remember to include the following: Emmanuel Da Silva , Home Office Reference: D1154036, currently in detention @ and due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Friday 25th February @ 18:15 hrs.
Rt. Hon Theresa May, MP
Secretary of State for the Home Office,
2 Marsham St
London SW1 4DF
Fax: 020 7035 4745
Emails:
mayt@parliament.uk
Emails: Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
"CIT - Treat Official" <CITTO@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk>
Background:
Emmanuel Da Silva is 29 year old media student from Angola, who came to the UK in 2008. He was detained on Friday 18th February as he reported at Brand Street, Glasgow. The Home Office plan to forcibly remove him at 18:15 hrs on Friday the 25th on TAP- Air Portugal flight TP 357 to Lisbon/Portugal for onward transit to Angola.
In Angola, Emmanuel supported his Journalism studies by working as a trainee at Journal Folha 8. While working there he had two articles published in the publication and his second article was on the Cuban troops that guard the Angolan president José Eduardo dos Santos, who has been in office since 1979. After the publication of that article he was summoned by the Director of Criminal Investigations and then detained and tortured. After a month a friend of Emmanuel managed to secure Emmanuel's release through bribery and arranged for him to fly to the UK where he claimed asylum on arrival.
Angola's new press laws came into force during May of 2006 but the reality is that they lack the additional legislation required to implement crucial parts of the law to protect freedom of expression. In their 2011 report on Angola Human Rights Watch note that "Fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and information became more curtailed in 2010, despite strong guarantees in the new constitution." They noted that "Defamation remains a criminal offense in the new press law. Other offenses, such as "abuse of press freedom," are vague and thus open to political manipulation." Human Rights Watch also state that there are a number of previous proceedings against Emmanuel's employers Folha 8 still outstanding.
The main reason for the Home Office give for reusing Emmanuel's case is a lack of faith in Emmanuel's testimony due to inconsistencies between his screening and substantive interviews. They partially base this on Emmanuel muddling the dates of when he left Angola by one day and muddling dates when he had different articles were published. It's clear that the Home Office are unwilling to recognise the effects trauma has on memory as shown by academics such as Jane Herlihy.
Emmanuel has made a new life for himself in the short time he's been in Glasgow, studying English during the week and attending Saturday Computing classes at Metropolitan College, as well as being an active member of his church. Emmanuel met his long term partner, Vanessa in 2008, Vanessa is a Portuguese national and so has automatic right to remain in the UK through the EU Citizenship Act. This alone would be strong grounds for Emmanuel to remain in the UK however the Home Office has repeatedly refused to recognise their relationship, even after the birth of his child. Emmanuel and Vanessa's 11 month old son, David, has his 1st Birthday on the 4th of March, a week after the Home Office plan to remove him from the UK.
Please notify UNITY of any Emails/Faxes sent:
The UNITY Centre
30 Ibrox Street
Glasgow
G51 1AQ
0141 427 7992
www.unitycentreglasgow.org
info@unitycentreglasgow.org
The UNITY Centre is run entirely by volunteers and funded completely by donations from our supporters. We need your help! If you would like to help by making a donation or by volunteering you can find more details on our website. Thank you! UNITY!
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