HOME | IMC UK | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

SouthCoast Indymedia

Last ditch attempt to stop deportation of young lesbian

Tyneside Communty Action for Refugees | 12.11.2006 00:20 | Anti-racism | Gender | Migration | London | South Coast

A last ditch attempt to stop Faridah Kenyini being deported is being organised by Tyneside Community Action for Refugees (TCAR). We are asking people to take phone/fax action and if you live in the Heathrow area, to leaflet at the airport on Monday afternoon.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
1) CALL AND FAX THE AIRLINE ON MONDAY
We are asking that on MONDAY you call Kenyan airlines at Heathrow airport on
on 01784 888 222

Ask to speak to the duty officer and say you want to LOG your concerns for the well being of a woman who is being deported on flight K101 Kenya Airlines to ENTEBBE. Tell them that Faridah is being forced onto the flight against her will. Say that she is very scared and distressed, and likely to cause distress to other passengers. She is on suicide watch at Yarlswood detention centre.

FAX the airline using the model letter attached - or make up your own
Fax 01784 888 311
or 020 8745 5027 (London office) - fax both if you can afford to

2) EMAIL THE GUARDIAN
Liam Byrne the Immigration Minister recently wrote to the letters page of the Guardian in an attempt to justify forced deportation. Write back to the Guardian and tell them that you disagree with the system. Mention Faridah and the fact she is a lesbian with a partner in Newcastle but the Home Office refuses to believe her.

See the story below:
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/immigration/story/0,,1942818,00.html CALL THE HOME

3) CALL THE HOME OFFICE PRESS OFFICE
Ask them if it is true that a vulnerable young woman is being sent back to Uganda
against her will. The Home Office Press Office aims to maintain a positive image for the Home Office. They will not want bad publicity. Some people pretend they are freelance journalists. You will get passed from pillar to post. Don't give up, just keep talking to as many people as you can.

Phone numbers of:
Immigration, International & Community
Assistant Director: 020 7035 3829
Immigration Desk
Wendy Fielder: 020 7035 3815
Jan Kemal: 020 7035 3821
Helen Bower: 020 7035 3816
Rachel Shaw 020 7035 3817

Try any of these. Start at the top and if they don't
answer, work your way down the list!

5) PASS THIS MESSAGE ON to your friends and colleagues. If you have time it would help if you could let us know what action you have taken


6) LEAFLET at HEATHROW on Monday afternoon at the Kenya airways check-in desk.
We need people who are based nearer to Heathrow to go and leaflet passengers to get them to complain about the deportation of Faridah. Leaflets are available by e-mailing  tynesidecar@yahoo.co.uk


Background - About Faridah Kenyini
Faridah Kenyini is a young lesbian from Uganda who came to the UK seeking asylum 2 years ago, aged 17. On entry to the UK neither her age nor that she was a lesbian was believed and her asylum claim was refused.

An attempt to forcibly deport Faridah on Tuesday 7th November failed and she has been given new "removal directions" for Monday 13th November to Uganda Kenya Airways KQ101 at 7pm.

Please help us stop her deportation.

As a lesbian, Faridah faces persecution if she returns to Uganda, both from her family and from the Ugandan government. According to the law, religion and culture in Uganda, homosexuality is criminalized. The official maximum penalty is life imprisonment.

Yoweri Museveni, the President of Uganda, once proposed the arrest of all homosexuals - though he subsequently modified his position and called for a return to the good old days when "these few individuals were either ignored or speared and killed by their parents". Later, the Minister for Ethics and Integrity Miria Matembe ordered the police to arrest and prosecute homosexuals, adding that she will fight gays until they are wiped out of the country.

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission have accused the present government of "a documented record of torture and abuse of lesbians and gay men."

On 8 August 2006 the Ugandan tabloid Red Pepper published a list of names of alleged homosexuals, prompting concerns by human rights groups of a fresh wave of crackdowns.

September 1999 - president Yoweri Museveni instructed Ugandan police to lock up and charge homosexuals.

In October 1999 - five members of the newly formed organisation, Right Companion, were arrested and deported to so-called 'safe houses.' One of the activists was raped twice all were beaten.

June 2000 - Ugandan police cover up the murder of a member of Lesgabix, a lesbian and gay grouping in Kampala.

February 2005 - Mr. Martin Amogor-Locain, Commissioner for Special Needs Education, Counselling and Guidance in the Education Ministry "The spread of homosexuality and lesbianism in secondary boarding schools is worrying the government. Due to spread of the pervert sexual behaviour the government is worried about "what might happen to youths in the country."

August 2006 - Ugandan tabloid publish a list of names of alleged homosexuals

Faridah is an integral part of the lesbian community in Newcastle, and has a partner in this country. Fresh and compelling evidence has now come to light that would provide grounds for a fresh review of Faridah's case. It would be a tragedy if she were deported before all the evidence was fully considered.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SOLIDARITY - TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER!

Tyneside Communty Action for Refugees
- e-mail: tynesidecar@yahoo.co.uk

Comments

Display the following comment

  1. God is trying to preserve Life — Ilyan

Publish

Publish your news

Do you need help with publishing?

-->

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

South Coast [navigation.actions2016]

South Coast [navigation.actions2015]

South Coast [navigation.actions2014]

NATO 2014

South Coast Actions 2013

G8 2013

South Coast Actions 2012

Workfare

South Coast Actions 2011

2011 Census Resistance
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Occupy Everywhere

South Coast Actions 2010

Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands

South Coast Actions 2009

COP15 Climate Summit 2009
G20 London Summit
Guantánamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
University Occupations for Gaza

South Coast Actions 2008

2008 Days Of Action For Autonomous Spaces
Campaign against Carmel-Agrexco
Climate Camp 2008
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Smash EDO
Stop Sequani Animal Testing
Stop the BNP's Red White and Blue festival

South Coast Actions 2007

Climate Camp 2007
DSEi 2007
G8 Germany 2007
Mayday 2007
No Border Camp 2007

South Coast Actions 2006

April 2006 No Borders Days of Action
Art and Activism Caravan 2006
Climate Camp 2006
Faslane
French CPE uprising 2006
G8 Russia 2006
Lebanon War 2006
March 18 Anti War Protest
Mayday 2006
Oaxaca Uprising
Refugee Week 2006
Rossport Solidarity
SOCPA
Transnational Day of Action Against Migration Controls
WSF 2006

South Coast Actions 2005

DSEi 2005
G8 2005
WTO Hong Kong 2005

South Coast Actions 2004

European Social Forum
FBI Server Seizure
May Day 2004
Venezuela

South Coast Actions 2003

Bush 2003
DSEi 2003
Evian G8
May Day 2003
No War F15
Saloniki Prisoner Support
Thessaloniki EU
WSIS 2003

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech