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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Feb 2006 : 23:19:30
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I don't place much confidence in the solicitor representing your friend with the attitude they are conveying it sounds too apathetic.I think its important that your friend realises that on Wednesday if her brief doesn't do an adequate job defending her that should speak for herself. After all she knows her situation better than anyone else of what life will mean when she returns she will be a social outcast and left to die!
I think the case should be stated as bleakly as that if the immigration judges sends her back to Gambia they are sending her back to death. Because there is no free medical or social services available that she is aware of to assist her day to day needs. And she need 24/7 care. Her mother is an old frail woman who cannot assist her in her day to day needs and doesn't have the means to financial support her. As she has parental responsibility of her grandson and is a poor destitute widow.
Your friend was traumatized,ignorant, and naive when entering the country she had no access to any form of counselling and was subjected to further traumas and mental abuse. Her sponsors through no fault of her own had not given her the relevant guidance to sort out her visa extention due to breavement and mental health problems. Her Uncle deceived her about her immigration status.
On the date of arrival she would of been able to claim Political Asyslum as a Gambian citizen but her intention was not initially to stay. However as she came to the realisation that there was a diagnosis for her pain and suffering that she wasn't possessed by evil spirits, and indeed had suffered ritualistic abuse because of overzealous witch doctors culminating in thirteen cuts on her body with the psycological impact of such torture. Your friend was trumatised and therefore unable to take responsibility for sorting out her immigration status. Couple with the cultural differences between Britain and Gambia as a unmarried woman she would naturally within her culture take instruction from her uncle because he is acting as her guardian
Your friend was not aware of her uncle's ill intentions. As her uncle believed in the same superstitions as the rest of her village he wanted to ostacise her just like her village had done to the extent that her mother had to result in bartering the clothes off her back.Under British Law Female Circumcision is indeed illegal the judge would also be sending her back to be tortured. Because her village still thinks she is possessed she fears for her life. In Britain she would not face this discrimination and her human rights would be protected under the law.
As a rape victim who was traumatised by the heineous crime committed against her and had no alternative to have the child she rejected.This to has had an adverse psychological impact on her state of mind.
In short I think the case can be centred around mental and physical torture for her reasons for overstaying and a congential diease. She had not been adequately informed by those who had initially sent for her about the rules and regulations through circumstances beyond her control although an adult her understanding of her rights and obligations about legally staying in the country were denied her because her passport was converscated by her uncle. I would suggest Toast99 you look up the Human rights laws on the net.
Your friend case relies heavily on her being discriminated against because she is disabled in her country of origin, and that Britain is the only place where she had been able to receive the treatment needed to keep her condition under control. And the proper care to improve her quality of life. She has no money or sponsor to pay for the necessary drugs. At the moment she is waiting to see a consultant here to investigate her degenerating illiness and to presribe her the proper treatment to ease he pain and discomfort.Being held in the detention centre is worsening her condition placing her under tremendous stress causing her arthritis to spread across her body. She needs access to proper medical personal who can prescribe her the proper medication that she urgently needs. For the tablets which she's on at the moment, are causing her awful side effects i.e nose bleeds etc and long term kidney problems. In Gambia she would not be able to afford her medication because she has no money at all. Her situation is so disperate that she has contemplated committing suicide.
Therefore it would be inhumane to send her back to Gambia where there is no one to provide her with any of the care she needs.(Social Services/ hospital/doctors reports can be used as evidence etc) because the physical pain and hardship will be torture in itself.
Toast99 you are welcome to print off what I've written and use it. You can just write in in first person if your friend is in agreement and add or delete any information which you find necessary too.
I wish your friend all the best and that Our Creator has witnessed all she has been through and for her not to give up hope for at the end of darkness there must be light!
Peace
Sister Omega
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Peace
Sister Omega |
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toubab
Gambia
92 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2006 : 00:16:12
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| hi gambiabev, I totally agree with you. For me and my husband to stay here , we have had to go through interviews to prove that we can support ourselves and pay for the priveledge!!!Britan is the joke of the world as regards immigration,even today I had someone at my house saying how he would love to go to the UK as he can get money for nothing.As soon as there is someone who overstayed there visa in the UK there is uproar. Most of your critics I notice ,reside in Europe! Very easy , when you're in the safety of the EU, to critise,. I notice none of them want to be here-------------- It's too difficult.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I have been married to a wonderful guy who is from the West Indies, for 25 years and have experiencied more racisim in The Gambia than in the last 25 yrs in the uk. So what have you load of syncophants have to say about that !! Just today a workman in my house called me a whitey, thinking I couldn't understand what he was saying!If you care so much about your country, then get your asses out here and do something, instead of spouting off behind the safey of your computer screens and letting your folks suffer, and slating people that are actually trying to do something. |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2006 : 00:26:42
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Hi Toubab,
How does the sychophant theory go with this thread? How does this Gambian woman's situation go together with someone calling you a whitey today? I don't get it the link between your disgruntled personal encounter with a disgruntled man and this severely disabled woman's case if you have a problem with him insulting you why didn't voice your displeaure to the man.
Another thing if you've experience more racism in Gambia than you have in the last twenty-five years what's stopping you from returning to the UK? Maybe now you can emphasize with what us Africans the world over have to face on a daily basis from blatant to insitutionalised racism here in the UK from cradle to the grave.
Toubab I'm sure as you've married an African from the Caribbean and lived in the Uk for 25 years. That there are many Africans in the EU and have every right to access its benefits and have relatives to join them whereas on the contrary Europeans can settle wherever they like and bring over their families into developing countries without so much redtape.
I was born and raised, and have born raised and still am raising children in the Uk. When the time is right I will return to the Motherland.Don't be complacent to think that because if someone is living outside of Africa that they aren't contributing to its development for under the Constitution of the African Union that the African Diaspora is the 6th Zone of Africa.
peace
Sister Omega
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Peace
Sister Omega |
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toubab
Gambia
92 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2006 : 01:01:10
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| Sister Omega , I do sympathise with what you as Africans have had to put up with, believe me I've been there, on both sides, and made my choices. But both of us bear no illwill, I don't understand the continuing hatred that crops up continually on this bantaba,it only incubates more hatred.God is great and will that will overcome all.We just have to live with tolerence and love. |
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Babylon
Sweden
691 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2006 : 01:06:16
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quote:
Originally posted by toubab
I have been married to a wonderful guy who is from the West Indies, for 25 years and have experiencied more racisim in The Gambia than in the last 25 yrs in the uk. So what have you load of syncophants have to say about that !! Just today a workman in my house called me a whitey, thinking I couldn't understand what he was saying!
You are free to live in a foreign country and so what do you have to complain about? Some paper work had to be done, but you were allowed to settle there in Gambia without bigger problems, right? And so what if someone called you a whitey? Come on now, that is nothing compared to the racism we have here in the west against black ppl, after 25 or something years with a black man you should know it. Exactly what sort of "racism" or discrimination do you experience in the Gambia? I think you are over reacting big time!
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toast99
United Kingdom
34 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2006 : 07:38:10
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Sister Omega
Thank you. I think that you have been the ONLY person who has visited this post and actually had the decency to both read and understand it without launching into a pre-conceived and ill-informed diatribe. Her solicitor is doing as well as he can, but I cynically think that solicitors provided by the Home Office to act for an appellant will not be the sharpest needles in the box. I hope that I am wrong. I will search about Human Rights provision, and also talk further to her solicitor, and more importantly speak to her at Yarls Wood and impress upon her to speak for herself, to tell the judge exactly what will happen to her if she is denied help and deported to Gambia. It is all very well my wife and I being able to send her a little money to help her on occasion but no amount of money will purchase medicine that is not available.
But many thanks for your advice.
Toast99. |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2006 : 08:54:07
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IF she does get deported when you visit you can take medicine in to the country as long as it is in its original packaging and with a copy of the prescription there should be no problem. I have done this before. Of course you have to pay for the prescription as a private prescription or buy things over the counter of the chemist. Either way keep it in the packaging.
My view on life is whatever the problem there is always a solution if you have the will to try hard enough.
IF she gets deported her friends in Uk will need to regroup and rethink their efforts.....not just give up on her. PAY for soemone in Gambia to look after her. PAY for drugs to be sent out. ALL this could be done by local fund raising.
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2006 : 09:01:27
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Toubab I do agree with you that Uk is seen as an easy meal ticket....
compared even with the rest of europe. France and Germany are much harsher places for an imigrant to be.
However, I am very proud to live in a country that has compassion, that has strong anti racism laws and is generally welcoming to other races.
The question is where do you draw the line? Health, education, housing are all in infinate supply. Money for these provisions is raised through tax. Why should a Gambian get treament on the NHS having never contributed at the expense of someone who has worked here all their lives? This will breed resentment of incomers when they are seen to jump the queue. |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2006 : 09:10:08
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Emigration.
Europeans are allowed free movement within the european community. This is because of reciprical arrangements. ie I can get medical care in France and a French person can get medical care in UK.
I can work within the eu.
I am free to travel anywhere else in the world, subject to any necessary visas. Personally I think this is a basic human right that should be given to everyone. ALong with your birth certificate you should get a passport. Sometimes it is the home government that dont want their people to travel (eg China)... because it is easier to control peoples minds if they dont have the freedom to travel and experience different cultures. If all Africans had the chance to travel I personally think the hold of the muslim culture would be much less. Perhaps the Gambian government doesnt want all its young healthy men going to the west?
If I want to work anywhere apart from the EU i have to comply to the rigours of the system. As someone over 40 with no great wealth I would be refused by most countries as they are looking for people to add to their country, not be a drain on their countries resources. SIMPLE ECONOMICS! |
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toast99
United Kingdom
34 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2006 : 09:19:00
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gambiabev
(Health, education, housing are in infinate supply.)???
There is an immeasurable amount in the UK? Bloody hell, I never realised that so much of all these commodities were available in such abundance. Open the doors to all who want to reside here, our bounty is overflowing! You may discover that your BNP or other right wing affiliation memberships cancelled...lol. |
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toubab
Gambia
92 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2006 : 10:23:54
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| No, babylon not overreacting, just making a point.Pesonally I couldn't give two hoots what anyone calls me as it justshows their ignorance and inability to express themselves intelligently.There is enough hatred and vitriol in this world without adding to it and nurturing itfor the future generations. Wrongs are done daily, but there is always another way of dealing with setbacks, be determined and have faith. |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2006 : 10:48:25
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Sorry I meant to say FINITE supply..which alters the meaning completely! But I still wont be rushing to BNP |
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Babylon
Sweden
691 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2006 : 12:08:05
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Toubab, you said you experienced more racism in the Gambia than in the U.K.
Iīm interested to know in what way you experience racism/discrimination there in Africa?
Or maybe you just said that hasted in your anger? As we all say things we donīt mean sometimes... |
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toubab1020
12311 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2006 : 12:59:20
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| I agree with Gambiabev,freedom of travel should be a right but of course there must be controls it is obvious that there are places which are easier to live because there is work available for without work where do you get money? there is no such plant as The Money tree,if the time on a visa is 6 months then its 6 months and not 6 years.As with most things in this world if you want it done do it yourself and not rely on others! |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2006 : 14:34:55
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Hi Toast99 when you see your friend can you also give her a copy of my advice I posted in, it may help her to gain clearer perspective over her situation when preparing to speak to the Judge. Because Wednesday is the only chance she will have in this country to be able to stay.
Also for her peace of mind it maybe useful for you to get in contact with the social services in Gambia, and the Royal Victoria plus NGO's etc on the ground that can tell you what services are actually available for her out there, and how much they will cost. At least she will have some idea of who she can appraoach for assistance on the ground, if she is refused a stay. It might be advisable for you to contact the Gambian High Commission in London can assist you with the contact number for the Royal Victoria Hospital and other available services that maybe of use to her.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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