A support group has been launched by the Friends of Amdani Juma to support his appeal against a Home Office ruling to terminate his right to remain. Amdani came to the UK in March 2003 from Burundi and applied for asylum. Within a month he was given Humanitarian Leave to Remain because of his experience as a torture survivor and political dissident, having escaped death on more than one occasion because of ethnic conflict and as a result of his involvement with the Democratic Front of Burundi. The DFB aims to disarm the Burundian army as a means to peace in opposition to the military government. Like most of its leading activists, Amdani has been forced into exile in recent years. Many of his family & friends have faced torture and been murdered. Please download and distribute the attached petition and read on to find out more about the case……
[attachment=6]
This petition has been drawn up by the friends and colleagues of Mr. Amdani Juma with the advice from his solicitor in advance of his appeal (November 28th 2007) against a Home Office decision to deny him indefinite leave to remain in the UK and their intention to deport him.
Amdani came to the UK in March 2003 from Burundi and applied for asylum. Within a month he was given Humanitarian Leave to Remain because of his experience as a torture survivor and political dissident, having escaped death on more than one occasion because of ethnic conflict and as a result of his involvement with the Democratic Front of Burundi. The DFB aims to disarm the Burundian army as a means to peace in opposition to the military government. Like most of its leading activists, Amdani has been forced into exile in recent years. Many of his family & friends have faced torture and been murdered.
Amdani volunteered at the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum, joined their management committee, and has been employed by them since 2005 as part of their integration support team. In addition he is involved in numerous local and national organisations and campaigns including African Initiative Support, Nottingham Council Tenants Forum, the National Refugee Integration Forum, National African HIV Prevention Program, African HIV Policy Network, Refugee Action, and he advises Nottinghamshire Social Services and other East Midlands bodies on asylum issues.
His friends are still in shock at the refusal to grant him indefinite leave to remain. He is no less in danger from the government that he was when he arrived here and the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office considers that ?the human rights situation in Burundi remains poor? (2007). Certainly the Home Office has offered no good evidence that the situation in Burundi is now safe for someone of his political and ethnic background, and from the time he arrived had not previously attempted to cast doubt on the circumstances that brought him here.
Amdani means a good deal to us. His personal and professional life is here, and like him we genuinely fear for his life should he be deported to Burundi. Please sign and circulate this petition & return to his solicitor:
Gareth Dooling, Paragon Law, 7B Broad Street, Hockley Village, Nottingham, NG1 3AJ. Tel. 0115 9644 123 garethd@paragonlaw.co.uk