ARMENIAN FAMILY BACK HOME IN BRISTOL AFTER ‘DRACONIAN’ DETENTION
Bristol Evening Post
family-home-Bristol-draconian-detention/article-14 35975-detail/article.html
Oct 20 2009
UK
An Armenian family seized from their Bristol home and taken to a
detention centre to be deported have been released by the UK Border
Agency.
Anna Vardanyan, 33, and her three children – Mariam, 16; Norik, 12;
and Gayana, eight – have spent the past two weeks at the Yarl’s Wood
immigration removal centre in Bedfordshire.
But last night they arrived back at Temple Meads railway station,
their ordeal over after they were given leave to stay at home in St
George while an appeal to keep them in the country is heard.
Paulette North, a teacher at the City Academy and a member of Bristol
Defend The Asylum Seekers Campaign, has long championed the family’s
case.
She said: "We were so overjoyed to hear the news because it has been
a harrowing time for them.
"I spoke to them several times before they got back and they were
ecstatic they were out, but at the same time they were very distressed.
"They are not in good physical or mental health and have suffered
immensely from this ordeal.
"Mariam contracted salmonella food poisoning and was in hospital for
a day and a half, and she is still very weak.
"Anna is very distressed. When they seized them two weeks ago they
threw their belongings in the back of a people carrier.
"When they released them yesterday they put everything in tiny bags
and just thrust a ticket into Anna’s hand, with no help to get back.
They didn’t even know if they were on a coach or a train."
The Vardanyans have lived in St George for seven years.
Mariam and Norik attend City Academy in Lawrence Hill, while Gayana
goes to Summerhill Junior School in St George.
They were removed on October 5 when 10 police officers and immigration
officials raided their home and were due to be deported on October 9.
But at 5.55pm that evening their solicitor rang supporters who were
demonstrating outside Trinity Road police station to say an injunction
had been granted.
Ms North said that their release yesterday was down to pressure put
on the government and the detention centre by the family’s friends,
unions and pupils at the City Academy, who gathered a petition to
take to the Prime Minister and wrote to the children’s commission
calling for them to be freed.
She said: "It was also because there is a judicial review. The family
are now in the legal loop, and we are waiting for the results of the
review, which could take a few months.
"It will prove that the Government has not examined the new evidence
enough, showing that if Anna went back to Armenia she would face
further abuse.
"When the news was relayed to the staff and pupils at the City Academy
all Mariam’s friends went wild and cheered, with Anna on the other
end of the phone thanking them.
"It is barbaric and draconian of this country to lock children up,
and we will be having a big open meeting in the middle of November
to highlight the issue."
The UK Border Agency said that the Vardanyans were living in the
country illegally after their claim for asylum was turned down and
appeals failed.
The family’s solicitor has applied for a judicial review of the case,
which will be heard in the High Court.