PLEASE DON’T KICK US OUT OF BRITAIN
By Laura Pitel
Newcastle Evening Chronicle
November 2, 2009 Monday
UK
A TALENTED teenager who has won places at top universities to study
medicine may be kicked out of the country. Lucy Manukyan, 18, got
a string of good grades at A-level, even though English is not her
first language.
The bright student and her family came to the North East with
nothing after being driven out of Uzbekistan, and have made lives for
themselves on Tyneside. But the Manukyan family, of Helmsley Drive,
Howdon, North Tyneside, are in danger of being kicked out of the
country after their asylum bid failed.
And, as Christians, they fear for their safety if they are sent back
to Muslimdominated Uzbekistan. Mum Nonna, and dad Kamo, used to run
a cafe in the country’s capital, Tashkent. But radical Muslims forced
them to flee.
Lucy said: "They beat dad up and broke his leg. No-one did anything
about it. Friends said we should leave the country." Immigration
officials want to send the Manukyans back to Uzbekistan, where Kamo has
citizenship, or to Armenia, where Lucy, Arsen and Nonna are nationals.
The family fear being split up if they are returned to either country.
Lucy said: "If they send us back to Uzbekistan, they won’t accept
the whole family.
"They would send us three back to Armenia. I don’t know if Armenia
would accept dad as an Armenian citizen. They will try to extradite
him from Armenia to Uzbekistan."
Lucy, whose dream is to become a doctor, got all As and Bs in
her A-levels and was offered places to study medicine at Newcastle
University and St Andrew’s. She also won places to study biochemistry
and biology at York and Edinburgh. Lucy and her brother Arsen, 19,
are enthusiastic about their adopted community and have done more
than 2,000 hours of volunteering between them.
They are involved in music and theatre, appearing in performances at
The Sage, Gateshead.
And Lucy and her family have the support of the community on Tyneside,
who cannot belive they could be booted out.
Wendy Brown, Youth Leadership Strand Leader at the Sage Gateshead said:
"She’s got a really caring nature. She’s so considerate.
"She epitomises everything that is good about young people in our
society today, and I cannot believe they are going to try and get
her out.
"She is such a good influence on the young people around here."
Brother Arsen is also a promising artist and is studying for an art
and design foundation degree at Newcastle College.
Lucy said: "I was 16 when I came here and I have all my friends here.
"I feel this is where my future is supposed to be and this is where
I’m supposed to be living.
"They are taking that chance away from me. Britain is so full of
opportunities and you just have to grab them."
A spokesman for the UK Border Agency said: "We did receive an asylum
application from the Manukyan family which was refused.
"Our decision was upheld throughout the full appeal process.
"The family have now made additional representations which are being
reviewed by our case team."