A SCHOOLBOY jailed in his own country has taken his fight to stay in Britain to the corridors of Westminster.
Tony Lola and mum Mireille were forced to leave the Democratic Republic of Congo because of the family's political activities.
Classmates and teachers at Didsbury CoE primary joined the nine-year-old as he travelled to London to put his case to schools secretary Ed Balls.
The 20-strong delegation, led by headteacher Matt Whitehead, presented the 2,000-signature petition and heart-rending letters written by Tony's classmates to government ministers.
The group were also shown around the House of Commons by local MP John Leech, who agrees the family are at risk if they return to their homeland.
Stunned
Tony, who speaks fluent English and French and has been living in Britain for three years, said he was stunned by the support from his friends.
He said: "It was very exciting to go to Parliament and meet the MPs. I explained about what happened to me and why I didn't want to go back to Africa.
"Everyone has helped and supported me. They have been signing the petition and getting other people to sign it."
Mireille, a hotel worker, fled to Britain in 2002 because of her support for a political party opposed to the rule of Congo president Joseph Kabila.
Tony was arrested and jailed for several weeks by police who were attempting to apprehend family members. After being released, worried relatives sent the boy to join his mother.
Mum and schoolboy have quickly been adopted by parents and teachers at the Didsbury school and the local St James' and Emmanuel parish, which has organised a campaign to keep them in the country.
Immigration officials believe the family's story but disagree that they would face government reprisals if they returned.
The Home Office was forced to halt deportations to the DRC two years ago after a High Court judge questioned the safety of sending asylum seekers back to the war-torn state.
But immigration officials maintain that the country is safe and have resumed deportations.
An estimated 5m people died in fighting between Congolese forces and militia supported by neighbouring states, in a conflict dubbed 'Africa's World War'.
Although the fighting formally ended in 2003, the Foreign Office still lists many parts of the country as unsafe for travellers because of the risk of violence.
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Tony takes his battle to Parliament
March 31, 2009
Tony Lola and his supporters heading to London
Showing comments 1 to 3 and replies | View All
Ace Shakespeare , manchester (31/03/2009 at 17:00)
Andanotherthing, Mcr (31/03/2009 at 18:51)
Ours, mine and your have just ripped up the park, set fire to all the empty houses AGAIN, smashed their WKD empties while the parents watch. They do this because they have it so tough...
1 Tony is worth a dozen of them.
Fingers crossed Tony.
Mark Haynes (31/03/2009 at 20:17)
Please can someone tell me why this family have traversed half the globe passing through many safe countries to come to Britain if their story is genuine? If they are genuine asylum-seekers and not economic migrants they should be in one of the neighbouring african countries and not here!
This nonsense of numerous appeals making money for lawyers should be stopped as well, if bogus asylum-seekers which 99% of them are come here they should be removed but I suppose that wouldn't fit in with Nu-Labour's socal engineering in changing this country into a Multicultural shambles!