Refugees plead: let us stay here

11:30am Saturday 17th February 2007

A KURDISH family from York who face deportation are making a last-ditch bid to remain in the country.

Makbule Yaman, 36, and her husband Hasan, 41, were told by Home Office immigration officials last week that they will be sent back to Turkey along with their children, Ozgur, 16, and eight-year-old Elif.

But the family, of Rosslyn Street, in Clifton, say they fear persecution by the Turkish police if they return and claim they did not get proper legal representation.

Both Makbule and the children suffer from serious medical problems and are being treated at hospital. They have been in the UK since 2001.

An anti-deportation campaign has been launched by Refugee Action York to try to prevent their removal.

Makbule said: "I am very stressed. I am worried that the Turkish police will hurt me if I go back. I can't sleep.

"My husband is very sad. He does not want to go back to Turkey because it is very horrible.

"I have been having nightmares about the Turkish police coming and breaking the doors and smashing the windows. I am very scared about going back.

"My son and daughter are crying a lot, saying they do not want to go back."

Makbule goes to a weekly cultural group at Haxby Road Primary School to learn English and computer skills.

Mary McCormack, a helper at the project, said: "The Yaman family are really well-known and well liked, and they have a lot of friends.

"Everyone is really worried about what could happen to them. We just hope we can prevent them being deported."

Both Makbule's children suffer from restricted growth and Ozgur, who attends Applefields School, in Tang Hall, receives hormone treatment at hospitals in Leeds and York. He also has problems with his hearing. Elif goes to Clifton Green Primary School.

Makbule attends regular sessions at York Hospital's pain clinic for back problems caused by being beaten by Turkish police.

Her husband, Hasan, sought asylum in Britain in March 2001 after he was detained and beaten by Turkish police for his political activities with the Kurdish Socialist Party (PSK).

He campaigned against the persecution of members of Turkey's Kurdish minority.

After her husband fled, Makbule was repeatedly visited by police and on one occasion she was badly beaten. She followed Hasan to Britain later that year.

Hasan's bid for political asylum was turned down and an appeal was rejected in 2004, on the grounds that he was not a credible witness to the persecution he says he suffered. Yesterday, the family reported to an immigration office in Leeds for travel documents to be prepared and photographs taken.

But Esme Madill, who is spearheading the anti-deportation campaign, said: "We believe strongly that they have not had good legal representation and their health will be compromised by a return to Turkey.

"We believe they have a very good case. This is a vulnerable family who have received poor legal advice, who are very frightened and who I believe have a well founded fear of persecution should they return to Turkey."

Government defends policy

A SPOKESWOMAN for the Home Office said she would not comment on individual cases, but defended the Government's asylum policy.

She said: "The Government has made it clear that it will take a robust approach to removing people from the country where they have no legal right to be here.

"We only return those who the asylum decision making and immigration appeals process have found do not need international protection and can therefore return safely.

"It is an important part of enforcing an effective and fair asylum system that those found not to be in need of international protection are removed from the UK."

She added: "We examine with great care each individual case before removal and we will not remove any person we believe is at risk on their return.

"All representations for asylum are carefully considered by trained case workers based on up-to-date information and taking into account all the circumstances of an appeal including, where appropriate, a person's religious beliefs."