AN ELEVENTH hour reprieve has been granted to the North-East mother and daughter due to be deported to Jamaica at noon tomorrow.
Immigration minister Liam Byrne halted the order at lunch time today, saying he had decided to look further into the case of Joy Dean Bowman and her 15-year-old daughter Chena.
But with no indication as to how long the Minister's review will take, Mrs Bowman, who came to Britain six years ago with her three children after her abusive husband threatened to kill her, said she was "relieved'' but still felt under threat.
Speaking from her Newcastle home she told The Northern Echo: "We are pleased not to be leaving but we will not be rejoicing until we get leave to stay here permanently.'' Mrs Bowman, who has worked as a healthcare volunteer since she arrived on Tyneside is training to be a nurse and Chena, a promising young athlete, is studying for her GCSE's.
Both her sons, Leven, 28 and Damian 24, were granted British citizenship around the time they joined the British Army.
Leven served in Iraq and Damian featured in a recruiting campaign to persuade more people from ethnic minorities to join the forces.
Both former soldiers have expressed their deep concern over the deportation threat hanging over their mother and sister.
And Mrs Bowman, stressed that she had no doubt her life would be in danger if she was returned to Jamaica: "Do the authorities seriously believe I would have fled with my children, leaving our five bedroomed home on a beautiful Caribbean island if we had not been seriously at risk,'' she said.
Minister Mr Byrne lifted the removal directions following representations on the Bowman's behalf by Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland.
But Mrs Bowman was last night anxious to thank everyone who had campaigned on her family's behalf, particularly the Tyneside Community Action for Refugees.
"Without their help I wouldn't have had the strength to carry on fighting to stay in Newcastle."
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