A LOCAL community has rallied to support an asylum seeker who is facing deportation.
Residents in Little Hulton, Salford, are providing food and company for Kurdish refugee Majed Saleh Ali, 28, who is staging a sit-in at his council flat.
His application for asylum was refused by the Home Office this month and he has been told he must leave the country.
Last week, when he returned to his flat in Little Hulton, the locks had been changed even though everything he owned was still inside.
He spent the night travelling on buses around Salford and the next morning got help from the Refugees and Asylum Seekers Participatory Action Research group, based in Salford.
'Unjust'
When he was taken back to the flat by a worker from New Prospect Housing, the company which maintains the council housing stock, Majed refused to leave.
He came to Britain in May last year after his family had paid for him to be smuggled first to Turkey and then through Europe.
He left behind a mother, sister and two brothers. Majed said: "I don't know what to do, or where to go. I can't go back to Iraq as my life would be in danger."
Local resident Barbara Nicholas said: "I find it hard to believe that we treat people in a way that is morally wrong and unjust.
"I don't blame New Prospect Housing - they are just acting on orders from the government."
In a joint statement, the council and New Prospect Housing said: "All asylum seekers agree they will leave their property if their appeal is unsuccessful. Mr Ali was given seven days notice to vacate the property on December 12."
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How many free democracies did he pass through to get to us? Sorry but it's about time we stopped this right now. Deport ALL illegals immediately.
I'm sick to death of illegal immigrants. Send them all home, if they want to claim asylum then do so but if they are rejected they should be deported the same day.
Good & Bye
I don't think ALL illegals should be sent home, some do have a genuine case, and sometimes those cases need appealing. But I do have to agree on how many free countries he passed. Britain has become a soft touch to some asylum seekers who 'shop around' - if you are fleeing to safety and want eventually to go back, why not stay in a country nearby and seek asylum there?
Once again we hear of imigrants crossing europe to get to the land of milk and honey .Why did this man choose britain has his destination."ANSWER" he has found a country that he can take advatage of he knows if he gets to britain his chances of being deported is virtually "nil" and we are a stupid country.to allow this we have pensioners dying of lack of money,and heating and yet we can always find money for these parasites.....
good bye
GOVERMENT IS RIGHT DEPORT HIM HES HAD A FAIR HEARING WE CANT KEEP ALLAND SUNDRY IF DO GOODERS PAY ALL HIS EXPENSES FOREVER THEN ITS OK BUT IF NOT SEND HIM BACK
Haven't we just spent a few billion pounds making Iraq safe for him to return home to? Surely, the only people who aren't safe in Iraq these days are Saddam's supporters.
The area of northern Iraq is very unsafe, particularly for people who may have been involved in politics. Nor do Kurdish people enjoy proper rights in Turkey. Indeed Turkey, our ally, has a history of persecuting and killing Kurdish people. This man deserved much better treatment from British authorities, at a time of year meant to be associated with generosity.
If we want to say we live in a civilised society we have to treat vulnerable people with common decency. We must give people the right to live and work in our country, especially those who have had their own country further destabilised by our aggressive US-dictated foreign policy.
The whole asylum system in Britain and the EC is unjust, brutal, not fair and to expensive.
Why is the British government not speaking up in the EC for a human system which helps the people, is fair and far less expensive ?
I am shocked to read that still there are many people out there who have not been given adequate factual information about people seeking asylum... I am not a so called 'Do' gooder, but neither am I someone, who'd say " Good & Bye", which to me is a person who lacks compassion and can't see further than their own little bubble of reality.... I'm all right Jack, kind of person. Anyways you could argue till you are blue in the face about the asylum issue, for a good grounding in factual information though, don't read the papers or listen to the politicians... read the Refugee Council web site. It's a whole lot more constructive. You never know it may help the I'm allright Jack's, out there to begin to understand that life ain't rosey all over the globe!
Although I do sympathise with the genuine asylum seekers but I find it annoying how this government gives them everything for free on entrance to this country while the honest working citizens continue to pay taxes to fund this. If the honest working citizen was to get into a situation of financial distress and made homeless the same support would not be available having worked to contribute to the economy of this country. If asylum seekers want to stay in this country then the government should include them in society by allowing them to work!!!
Tracey u miss the point. What annoys people is the fact that these people, and so man of them, come here. They come to Britain and Ireland thorugh so many 'safe countries' ie., France etc. Why can't they stay there? Because the French don't want them. You think the Brits are bad you should listen to ho the French feel. We even have instances of asylum seekers registering in Ireland claiming benefits there and then popping across the border into N.Ireland claiming UK benefits. Now will someone please tell me if thats not sponging off states and abusing systems then what is? I'll tell you why people come here. Its 2 organisations. The NHS and Welfare and I'm sorry but we in the NHS cannot treat the world. We have a hard enough time treating the UK citizens.
In America they dont stand for it and if you are caught you are thrown out there and then. TOUGH & GOODBYE is their way and its how we should be. We in the West cannot help the globe forever. I understand some countries are in a terrible state but is that my fault? No. Would any of these countries come to our aid if we suddenly were throw into a dictatorship where thousands of ppl are executed?
Who cares lets get our facts straight there are old people dying because they cant afford their heating bills, our kids are not getting a proper eduacation
are streets are overun with ilegal immigrints are we worried about one man. People lets get real.
This is an ongoing problem because people are not being informed or are aware of the reality to where these people have escaped. its really difficult to imagine seeing your loved ones being tortured or hiding in a small cupboard . it must be a horrifying experience with mental scares for life. its all too easy to get on the bandwagon and believe something that is proven to be a myth. we should help the GENUINE seekers but deport immediately the illegal asylum seekers. this person has had 7 days to vacate. how long does barabara nicholas expect to feed this young person. maybe she should adopt him and take him in her house.?
"First to Turkey" are the key words here take him back to that point let the Turks deal with the problem not us sorry Majed you have no right to be here goodbye!
T. Hawkins... I think actually you miss the point. What annoys people like me, is people like you who make generalisations and re-iterate info that sounds like something out of a BNP leaflet or the scare mongering tactics of certain tabloids and politicians.
Yes sure there are people who may abuse the system, as is the case with human beings all over the world. Point is not every body does, point is not all people fleeing their country have a choice in final destination particularly if being trafficked, point is not all people passing through Europe would feel safe to claim asylum in a safe third country because of that country's political links with the refugees own country, point is many people fleeing are leaving behind a life in which they had status, good careers, a home, family, some respect from their fellow community members etc. Point is the NHS is to a large extent dependent upon imigrants to fill the skills shortage, as is the USA who today announced that it would be granting immigration status to many of the millions of illegal workers in view of them being an invaluable asset to the manual labour industry. Let's not blame asylum seekers for sponging from the system, using up NHS resources.... wasn't that what Hitler did in the 1930's.
Perhaps if Western governments were less self invested in their dealings with other countries through arms trade, cheap labour and draining these countires of their highly skilled workers, there would not be such an imbalance in wealth, infrastuctures and the misery of War and dictators, then children would not go hungry or have to fight in wars, or sleep on the streets, people would not need to flee their country.... hey ho the list goes on. Are you getting my point?
Tracey, I never said ALL were spongers. Indeed there are many who are genuine. We have enough British nationals who sponge off the system. Oh and also please don't ever associate me with the BNP. How dare you, the BNP scare the living daylights out of me and I'm very worried that certain areas around the north west have BNP Cllrs. I am NO racist thankyou very much!!
Tracey: POINT IS THEY COME HERE BECAUSE THIS COUNTRY IS SOFT! EASY! AND CARES MORE ABOUT OUTSIDERS THAN ITS OWN!
Thats the point!