URGENT: Ay Family

Yurdurgal Ay and her children were snatched from their home in Gravesend on Wednesday July 17th 2002 and have been held in Dungavel Removal Centre in Scotland ever since.

The family's lawyer lodged an application seeking asylum on behalf of the children this morning but about 1.30 p.m. today (01/08/03) we heard that the family has already been removed from Dungavel to be taken to Oakington detention centre near Cambridge prior to being flown back to Germany on Tuesday in a 142-seater plane which has already been chartered for that specific purpose.

Quite simply this is an absolute disgrace and signals a change in policy in the Labour government's already inhumane immigration policy. It means that the government is now prepared to deport asylum-seeking children before their application has been properly heard and processed. The four Ay children who are aged between 7 and 14 years of age, have been here for four years, have attended school and made friends here and have been imprisoned in Dungavel for the last 13 months, but no clemency is to be shown. I am therefore asking you to fax an urgent letter of protest today to:

Beverly Hughes MP Minister for Immigration Home Office 50 Queen Anne's Gate LONDON SW1H 9AT Fax: 0207 2733965.

Thank you for your help.

Yours in solidarity

ROSIE KANE MSP
Scottish Parliament
Tel: 0131 348 5632