Dear Supporter,
Time is running out and we need you to do one more thing for 13 year old Meltem.
As you know, the immigration authorities have now set a removal date for 13 year old Meltem Avcil and her mother for 07.30 Hrs, Thursday 15 November via a British Airways Flight No. BA0936 from Heathrow Airport Terminal 1, to Dusseldorf, Germany.
Meltem and her mum therefore need your help immediately – and it will take no more than 30 seconds of your time to write an email to the head of press relations at British airways TO URGE THEM NOT TO REMOVE THE FAMILY.
TAKE ACTION NOW
Please email BRITISH AIRWAYS using the model EMAIL message below asking them not to carry out the removal of Meltem and Cennet Avcil from the UK. Please email :
Julia Simpson, head of media relations, British Airways. Please copy your mail to:
Paul Marston, deputy head of media relations, British Airways, and
Euan fordyce;
(Please do copy/amend/write your own version, quoting 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 below————–
FAO JULIA SIMPSON, HEAD OF MEDIA RELATIONS, BRITISH AIRWAYS
Cc: Euan.fordyce@ba.com; Paul.marston@ba.com; robina@paih.org;
“Dear Julia,
FORCED REMOVAL OF MRS CENNET AVCIL & MELTEM AVCIL
BRITISH AIRWAYS FLIGHT NO. BA0936
7.30 HRS, THURSDAY 15 NOVEMBER
HEATHROW, LONDON TO DUSSELDORF, GERMANY
Further to our telephone conversation this afternoon, I am writing to you about 13 year old Doncaster schoolgirl Meltem Avcil and her mother Cennet who are currently incarcerated at Yarlswood Detention Centre, and due to be removed on your British Airways flight this Thursday at 7.30 HRS from Heathrow Terminal 1 to Dusseldorf, Germany.
Meltem Avcil’s case has recently become a cause celebre across the UK.
Meltem has been living in Doncaster, England for the past six years, since 2001. Her schoolteachers at Hall Cross Lower School, Doncaster, describe her as a ‘No.1 student’. She speaks with an English accent, speaks perfect English, her dreams and aspirations are essentially English, and the only country she knows as her home in the true sense of the word is Doncaster, England where her friends, neighbours, school and community remains. Her 14th birthday is on November 21. For almost three months she and her mother have been in Yarls Wood, and Meltem has recently begun self harming amid fears for her psychological wellbeing.
Meltem and her mother, Cennet, fear removal to Germany, a country they have absolutely no connection with, and from there to Turkey, a country they fled in 2001 because they were persecuted as Kurds.
The family has lived in the UK for over six years and have clear human rights grounds for them to remain in the UK under a family amnesty and to not be removed to Germany:
Meltem Avcil is 13 years old and about to turn 14 on November 21st 2007.
She has been in school in the UK for SIX years
Mrs Avcil and her daughter have NEVER absconded or disobeyed ANY UK immigration rules
Both mother and child have been detained like criminals for almost THREE months
She has had NO schooling since being incarcerated
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)
Their lawyer is still pursuing legal routes to help them remain in this country
The facts of Meltem’s case are very similar to that of the AY family (who you may 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.
The Avcil family’s supporters increasing daily. Hundreds of faxes and emails have been sent to the German authorities since 8pm last night calling on them not to accept Meltem and her mother into their country. Actress Juliet Stevenson has now joined the campaign, alongside other prominent members of the arts community in the UK, to stop Meltem Avcil and her mum being removed to Germany.
Juliet met Meltem Avcil last week while visiting Yarls Wood detention centre with Women for Refugee Women and spoke to Meltem and her mother Cennet. She was shocked when told this morning of Meltem’s imminent removal and has agreed to support the campaign for Meltem and Cennet avcil to stay in the UK. The New Statesman, the Independent, and ITN news is also taking up the story and interviewing Meltem. The local newspapers in Doncaster are leading on the story since last week, and more stories are expected tomorrow. I am sure that British airways, its staff or passengers would not want to be direct witnesses to the suffering of a young psychologically traumatized 13-year-old girl and her mother being forced to leave the only country they know truly as their home.
I therefore respectfully urge you, on behalf of the campaign, not to carry out the forced removal of this family on your airline. No doubt you will hear from some of the campaign’s fellow supporters too.
I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Yours sincerely,
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