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Sir Al Aynsley Green, the Children’s Commissioner complained to UK Border Agency about ordeal of British born children (From The Northern Echo)
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Sir Al Aynsley Green, the Children’s Commissioner complained to UK Border Agency about ordeal of British born children
8:06am Monday 21st September 2009
ONE of the Prime Minister’s key advisors has expressed his dismay at the way UK border officials treated a North-East asylum seeker when she was deported last week.
Elizabeth Kiwunga fled from Uganda, in east Africa, in 2002, where she claims she was raped and tortured by thugs loyal to her former husband’s political opponents.
After settling in Darlington, she won the support of the local community, who spent years campaigning for her to be granted the right to remain in the UK.
But Ms Kiwunga and her two British-born children were flown back to Uganda last week after being seized by operatives from the UK Border Agency (UKBA).
The family’s treatment during the switch has sparked anger from Sir Al Aynsley Green, the Children’s Commissioner, who has written to the agency’s chief executive, Lin Homer, to complain.
Sir Al said he was concerned that Ms Kiwunga’s children had apparently been separated from her during the journey.
He was responding to reports from North-East MEP Stephen Hughes that fouryear- old Hilary-Marie and baby John spent half an hour alone with UKBA officials while their distraught mother was taken in another vehicle.
Sir Al wrote: “I would be grateful if you could tell me why it was deemed appropriate that a four-year-old and a one-year-old be separated from their mother.
“In view of the fact that the older child has been described as being hysterical at being separated from her mother, I would like to know what justification the decision maker had for deciding on, or authorising, the separation.
“Does UKBA accept that such action could cause emotional harm to a small child, and how was this foreseeable risk balanced in deciding on the course of action taken?”
Ms Kiwunga’s children have suffered the terror and indignity of imprisonment since she was first taken from her Darlington home in 2007.
Hilary-Marie “celebrated” her third birthday in the confines of the Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre.
Ms Kiwunga was arrested and detained for questioning for two hours on her arrival in the east African country.
The Reverend Sheilagh Williamson, who hosted the family in Darlington, and is in touch with Ms Kiwunga in Uganda, said she had been “terrified” by the ordeal.
Uganda’s capital, Kampala, has been gripped by political unrest recently, with 11 people killed during two days of rioting at the start of the month. Ms Kiwunga’s case won the backing of church leaders, Darlington MP Alan Milburn and North- East MEP Stephen Hughes.
Mr Hughes said last night: “I am ashamed of the way we in Britain deal with these issues.
“Elizabeth’s children were absolutely traumatised. It is totally inhumane.”
A spokesman for the UK Border Agency said the organisation did not comment on individual cases, and that the Children’s Commissioner’s letter would be responded to in due course.
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Your Say YourNorth-East
BMD, Darlington says...
10:10am Mon 21 Sep 09
I do not believe there is a law for separating a mother from her children for half an hour, but the "on the ground" decision was un-necessary.
For the majority of African countries a 2 hour wait and questioning is normal to enter there country.
The Stand, Darlington says...
10:25am Mon 21 Sep 09
Maybe you should listen to some of the expert medical evidence relating to childhood trauma's before spouting such uninformed opinions.
The Stand, Darlington says...
10:26am Mon 21 Sep 09
The Stand wrote:meant to type 'hasn't spoken or isn't eating'
I guess the fact that Marie has spoken or isn't eating means she has quickly recovered from her ordeal? Maybe you should listen to some of the expert medical evidence relating to childhood trauma's before spouting such uninformed opinions.
BMD, Darlington says...
3:08pm Mon 21 Sep 09
I guess the fact that Marie hasn't spoken or isn't eating means she has quickly recovered from her ordeal? Maybe you should listen to some of the expert medical evidence relating to childhood trauma's before spouting such uninformed opinions.
Every ones perception on "Quick" is different. I am sure once she gets back to her roots, she will flourish.
timeshift, South Shields says...
4:30pm Mon 21 Sep 09
She was born here! This is her culture, this is where she was starting school, this is where she attended church. She had roots right here in the community.
BMD, Darlington says...
5:47pm Mon 21 Sep 09
Your comments seem to hinge solely on this Childs welfare from a British citizen whom has never visited Africa.
Maybe in the future she will choose to return to the UK, as she will be eligible for dual nationality. But let that choice be her's and not your media influenced opinion of Africa.
timeshift, South Shields says...
7:25pm Mon 21 Sep 09
Dean M, Darlington says...
9:56pm Mon 21 Sep 09
timeshift wrote:I don't buy this suggestion that just because someone is born here then British is their culture, particularly in the case of very young children. The youngest is a 6 month old baby who happened to be born here - does that mean he is a born and bred Englishman? Despite being the son of a failed asylum seeker?
"Gets back to her roots" ? She was born here! This is her culture, this is where she was starting school, this is where she attended church. She had roots right here in the community.
Although I think it would have been preferable to keep mother and children together during their removal, I was not there and so do not know whether, for example, the reaction of the mother caused the officials to decide the best course of action was to separate them for a few minutes - 30 minutes was it?
I think using terms like 'subjecting children to terror and trauma' and 'expert medical evidence relating to childhood trauma's' is a bit OTT, even for the most die-hard supporters of this case, in relation to a half-hour separation.
I can understand her supporters doing it though; it could help with her case. I notice the Northern Echo has made the call to support this case, as I read in their Comment column today, so her supporters have spun a good campaign. The Echo I think stated in their column that Elizabeth had been raped and tortured in Uganda, although isn't it the case that these are unproven allegations? Stating it as a fact in the Echo column helps further to gain support though - yet more spin.
I don't know all the facts of the case but I just feel this is a group of her supporters playing the best public relations game that they can, in order to try and persuade the authorities to allow their friend to stay.
fratia, Toronto, Canada says...
10:30pm Mon 21 Sep 09
simmo3578, newton aycliffe says...
12:05am Tue 22 Sep 09
billysaid, aycliffe says...
12:23am Tue 22 Sep 09
d4x, darlington says...
12:39am Tue 22 Sep 09
BMD, Darlington says...
5:41am Tue 22 Sep 09
If it enables them to get a asylum,
Do you think each one of them will have a harrowing story?
TheBuffon81, Durham says...
8:08am Tue 22 Sep 09
timeshift, South Shields says...
11:43am Tue 22 Sep 09
BMD, Darlington says...
4:45pm Tue 22 Sep 09
* Hopefully the officers do wear uniforms, because it would have been more harrowing if they dressed as normal members of the public.
* As for the place being unsuitable for children, unless you have experienced the interview room, I suspect this is pure speculation.
* It is a long flight, but I have witnessed younger children on longer flights.
* I understand after arriving in Uganda, the family received a 2 hour interview, the family was then allowed to freely return to there accommodation.
* But for the persistence of her trauma, this can only be measured on each individual.
* Hopefully the Children's Commissioner will review the "on the ground" handling of this case and give recommendations for any future cases. But this now needs a line drawn under it.
BMD, Darlington says...
4:45pm Tue 22 Sep 09
* Hopefully the officers do wear uniforms, because it would have been more harrowing if they dressed as normal members of the public.
* As for the place being unsuitable for children, unless you have experienced the interview room, I suspect this is pure speculation.
* It is a long flight, but I have witnessed younger children on longer flights.
* I understand after arriving in Uganda, the family received a 2 hour interview, the family was then allowed to freely return to there accommodation.
* But for the persistence of her trauma, this can only be measured on each individual.
* Hopefully the Children's Commissioner will review the "on the ground" handling of this case and give recommendations for any future cases. But this now needs a line drawn under it.
The Stand, Darlington says...
9:00pm Tue 22 Sep 09
The issue relating to how the removal was conducted with young children involved is still 'live'. The way the children were treated was a disgrace, sorry but it was. Any other agency who used these kind of tactics would be shamed by press coverage and public opinion. In fact we as a society subjected those two young children, and many more whom we don't know about to emotional abuse. And child abuse of any kind is wrong. The child of an ayslum seeker, is still a child and they should be treated as such and with the full protection of the law and this is why the Children's Commissoner has got involved in this case. Do you think he has written to the UK Borders Agency for fun?
What crime had Marie and John committed to be treated in this way other than being a child of an ayslum seeker.
These cases/removals need to be looked at and first and foremost with the child's welfare as the highest priority. Otherwise the abuse of innocent children at the hands of this nation will continue.
timeshift, South Shields says...
9:02pm Tue 22 Sep 09
It's not me saying it, it's the Children's Commissioner.
http://news.bbc.co.u
k/1/hi/uk_politics/8
019667.stm
And yes, we will move on from this and it will be yesterday's news. I doubt if Marie will forget it for many years, if ever.
Super steve, The land that labour ruined says...
9:54pm Thu 24 Sep 09
timeshift wrote:No her roots are in Uganda, her parents are black african Ugandans, Not British. My Brother in laws kids were born and raised for their first few years in Serbia and Germany, but their roots and parents are British.
"Gets back to her roots" ? She was born here! This is her culture, this is where she was starting school, this is where she attended church. She had roots right here in the community.
Where you live is not where your roots are, as many very senior politicians in Africa so frequently point out that white settlers in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, and Kenya, who have lived their since the 1800s will NEVER be accepted as Africans, their roots are European.
BTW the Immigration people would not have had to be so hard and firm with this family if they had left when their application and its appeals were refused, its the mother who created the situation not the Immigration officers.
The Stand, Darlington says...
10:59am Fri 25 Sep 09
Nick Scott, Durham says...
9:10pm Sun 27 Sep 09
ORDEAL: Elizabeth Kiwunga and her daughter, Hilary-Marie
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The Stand, Darlington says...
9:35am Mon 21 Sep 09
Whether you support Elizabeth's case or not, subjecting young children to terror and trauma like this is morally wrong in any society.
I would like to see the law amended so that other children are protected from the horrors that have sadly been inflicted on Marie & John.