Dear Supporter,
I wrote to you last week about 13 year old school girl Meltem Avcil (pictured left) and her mother Cennet who have been detained at Yarls Wood detention centre for almost three months now.
Well, the immigration authorities have now set a removal date for 07.30 Hrs, Thursday 15 November via a British Airways Flight No. BA0936 from Heathrow Airport Terminal 1, to Dusseldorf, Germany.
The family has lived in the UK for over six years and there are clear human rights grounds for them to remain in the UK under a family amnesty. The only thing that can help them now is if the German authorities decide not to accept Meltem and her mum into Germany[1] and British Airways do not fly them to Dusseldorf this Thursday.
Meltem and her mum therefore need your help immediately – and it will take no more than ONE MINUTE of your time.
TAKE ACTION NOW
1. EMAIL THE GERMAN AUTHORITIES using the model email below to: Mr Eckehard Will, Email: Eckehard.Will@bamf.bund.de . (please copy/amend/write your own version) Please copy your email to robina@paih.org.
2. FAX BRITISH AIRWAYS using the model fax message asking them not to carry out the removal of Meltem and Cennet Avcil from the UK. Fax : British Airways Chief Executive Officer on 0208 738 9801 Fax : British Airways Press Office on 0208 738 9838. (please copy/amend/write your own version, quoting flight Flight No. BA0936 from Heathrow Airport Terminal 1, to Dusseldorf, Germany, at 7.30 HRS on Thursday 15 November 2007)
Thank you for your time and support,
Robina Qureshi
Model Email
FAO Mr Eckhart Will
German Third Country Unit
Germany
Dear Mr Will,
YOUR REF: 2728437: CENNET AVCIL AND MELTEM AVCIL
I am writing to respectfully ask that your Government excuse itself from the responsibility of allowing the United Kingdom Government to remove Mrs Cennet Avcil and her 13-year-old daughter Meltem from the UK to Germany this British airways Thursday 15th November 2007, 7am Terminal 1, , Heathrow to Dusseldorf.
I believe the German government may legally excuse themselves from the restraints of the Dublin convention in regard to this family, whose case has now been picked up by the UK press and media[2]. The Avcil family has exceptional and compassionate grounds for not being returned to Germany:
a) Meltem Avcil is 13 years old and about to turn 14 on November 21st 2007.
b) She has been in school in the UK for SIX years
c) Mrs Avcil and her daughter have NEVER absconded or disobeyed ANY UK immigration rules
d) Both mother and child have been detained like criminals for almost THREE months
e) The UK government has failed in all respects in regard to their duty of care towards this child in that:
i) She has had NO schooling since being incarcerated
ii) She has had poor medical and social support
iii) Her mental and psychological state has deteriorated, from being a normal, healthy bubbly teenager to a scared, depressed, lonely young girl, turning to self harm (She began cutting herself a few days ago)
The facts of Meltem’s case are very similar to that of the AY family (who you will be familiar with), where the German government gave status to the family on humanitarian grounds, after psychiatric reports showed the children had been psychologically traumatised during their incarceration in the United Kingdom.
I believe that the trauma that the UK government has put Melte Avcil through will haunt her for the rest of her life, and that it is in the best interests of this child to be returned to her home in Doncaster, the familiarity of her school, friends and teachers, and to have access within this comfort zone to psychiatrists to assist her in returning to her former happy self.
I am certain that Germany does not and will not keep a child in detention when that child is cutting herself in desperation. I am certain that the German government will recognise that the removal of this family is not in their interest, nor in Germany’s interest.
I strongly believe that the UK government has not considered all the facts of this case and it would be against the family’s human rights to be returned to a country with which they have absolutely no connection. Yet, the UK government appears to be taking the easy option of letting Germany take care of the problems it has clearly created (a lengthy asylum claim, psychological trauma of detention).
I therefore respectfully request that the German government excuse itself from the Dublin convention and allow this young girl to return to her community, friends, her school and most of importantly of all, the only country that she has ever known to be truly her home.
Yours sincerely,
Name:
Address:
City:
Postcode:
Country:
Date:
___________________________________________
Model Fax Message
To: British Airways
Chief Executive Officer: 0208 738 9801
British Airways Press Office on 0208 738 9838
Dear Sir / Madam,
Forced Removal of Cennet Avcil and Meltem Avcil
7.30 HRS on Thursday 15 November 2007
British Airways Flight No. BA0936 from London Heathrow, UK to Dusseldorf, Germany
I urge you to not carry out the forced removal of this family on your airline, whose case has now been picked up by the UK press and is gathering support from Doncaster, Scotland and parts of Europe.
The Avcil family has exceptional and compassionate grounds for not being returned to Germany:
a) Meltem Avcil is 13 years old and about to turn 14 on November 21st 2007.
b) She has been in school in the UK for SIX years
c) Mrs Avcil and her daughter have NEVER absconded or disobeyed ANY UK immigration rules
d) Both mother and child have been detained like criminals for almost THREE months
e) The UK government has failed in all respects in regard to their duty of care towards this child in that:
i) She has had NO schooling since being incarcerated
ii) She has had poor medical and social support
iii) Her mental and psychological state has deteriorated, from being a normal, healthy bubbly teenager to a scared, depressed, lonely young girl, turning to self harm (She began cutting herself a few days ago)
The facts of Meltem’s case are very similar to that of the AY family (who you may be familiar with), where psychiatric reports showed the children had been psychologically traumatised during their incarceration in the United Kingdom.
I believe that the trauma that the UK government has put Meltem Avcil through will haunt her for the rest of her life, and that it is in the best interests of this child to be returned to her home in Doncaster, the familiarity of her school, friends and teachers, and to have access within this comfort zone to psychiatrists to assist her in returning to her former happy self.
I strongly believe that the UK government has not considered all the facts of this case and it would be against the family’s human rights to be returned to a country they have absolutely no connection with.
I therefore urge you to not carry out the forced removal of this family on your airline.
Yours Sincerely,
Name:
Address:
City:
Postcode:
Country:
Date:
