The pilot then ordered the Home Office officials with Tracy to take her and Erika off the plane.

As a result Tracy and Erika were brought back to Dungavel.

Talking to Unity from her room in Dungavel, Tracy said she was feeling very unwell after what had happened Tuesday. She has a bad headache and her head feels like it has swollen up she feels so stressed. She says the guards are all very cross with her as well because she was supposed to go on the plane.

Everyone at Unity is so happy that Tracy didn't get taken on the plane!

Now we must work to get this family back to Glasgow - where they belong!


Tracy and Erika's story:
Tracey Andrew fled to the UK in May 2004 from Nigeria. Tracey had only just turned 22 and was 7 months pregnant. Tracey fled Nigeria following problems with her Christian parents who had thrown out of their house after they discovered she had been having a relationship with a Muslim man. The man's parents also did not want their son to have a relationship with a Christian.

When she arrived in the UK Tracey was very young and did not understand the laws about claiming asylum. Only one week after she arrived in the UK Tracey was persuaded to try to get a flight to Canada using a false passport by a man she had met at a bus-stop.

After her arrest at the airport Tracey claimed asylum. In the following court case Tracey was found guilty and sent to prison for four months. After two months in prison Tracey was released on 20th July 2004 and 4 days later gave birth to her daughter, Ericka.

Since then Tracey and Ericka have lived in Glasgow making a new start and a new home in Scotland. She is currently in her second year of studying an HNC in Healthcare at Stow College and her tutors there say she is a confident and hard-working conscientious student.

Since coming to Glasgow she has kept up going to church and her minister has said that she has been exceptionally enthusiastic at worship and has readily and naturally made many friends in the congregation.

In September 2007 Tracey completed the 'Legacy' review questionnaire and returned it to the Home Office. On Tuesday 15th January 2008, Tracey went for her monthly reporting, as she has done without fail for the last three years and was told that her 'Legacy' application had been rejected because she had a criminal record.


When Tracey was arrested she had only just turned 22 and was 7 months pregnant in a strange country. Since her time in prison Tracey has done all that she can to make a good life for herself and her daughter, has worked hard and behaved honestly. Only last week she received a letter from Strathclyde Police thanking her for her honesty in handing in a missing purse.

Many families who have used forged documents to arrive in the UK have been given leave to remain as a result of the Legacy review process.

Despite her earlier mistake, Tracy and Erika have shown that they have made a private life in Scotland that would be completely destroyed if they were forced to return to Nigeria. The Home Office accept that the family have established a private life for themselves but believe that Tracey is a serious criminal who should not be allowed to stay in Scotland.

If you believe Tracey and Ericka should be allowed to stay in Scotland please print off and sign the attached petition.

Return signed petition to:
Tracy & Erica Campaign
C/o The UNITY Centre
30 Ibrox Street
Glasgow
G51 1AQ
 info@unitycentreglasgow.org