ASYLUM STRUGGLE REPORTER DEPORTED
By David Thomson
This Is Lancashire, UK
April 19 2007
Comment
A FOREIGN journalist who settled in Bury after fleeing her native
Armenia following death threats has lost her fight to remain in the UK.
Gina Khatcharyan, her husband Vahan and five-year-old daughter Elena,
who attended a local primary school, were put on an Armenian-bound
plane by Home Office officials last Friday.
The 30-year-old television reporter had arrived in Britain in 2003
and claimed asylum.
She had apparently witnessed ballot rigging during local elections in
Armenia and received death threats when she informed the authorities.
Fearing for her life and the safety of her husband and daughter,
Gina sought asylum in the UK.
The family lived for some time in Cateaton Street, Bury, before
moving to Salford last year. Her daughter was a pupil at Heap Bridge
Primary school.
Gina was a member of the Bury-based Castaways group which meets
regularly at the town’s Mosses Centre to provide support and social
activities for local refugees and asylum seekers.
Earlier this year, a Castaways Campaign was launched to try to persuade
the Government to grant a family amnesty to asylum seekers and their
children. The last one was granted in October, 2000.
Sue Arnall, who is attached to the campaign, said: "As far as I am
aware, Gina lived in Bury until last July before moving to Salford.
"I have known her for 18 months and she is a very bubbly, lovely
and glamorous person. She would come to our Castaway group to meet
friends."
She had been unaware that Gina was facing deportation. "She never
asked me to get involved in her campaign or to intervene in any way
in her immigration situation.
"But Gina rang one of our Castaways members on Tuesday of last week,
saying she and her family had been picked up during the early hours
of the previous day. Their street in Salford had been cordoned off.
They were then taken to a detention centre.
"I spoke to her on Friday when she was in the holding room at Heathrow
Airport and she was very distressed.
"Fellow journalists had raised money to get a human rights lawyer.
But Gina was refused access to a fax machine."
Prior to boarding the plane last Friday, the National Union of
Journalists had attempted an eleventh-hour intervention but were
unable to prevent the deportation going ahead.
It is understood that the Home Office felt the risks to Gina and her
family were not sufficient to allow her to remain in the UK.
However, there are conflicting reports as to the whereabouts of
the journalist.
Sue believes that Gina landed in Armenia and, despite fears, was not
arrested at the airport and has since gone underground.
But Jenny Lennox, a Manchester-based full time official of the National
Union of Journalists, understands that Gina has been allowed to settle
safely in Russia.
In the meantime, however, Sue says that Gina’s case reinforces the
aims and objectives of the Castaways Campaign in pressing for a family
amnesty for asylum seekers and their children.
She stressed: "There are hundreds of children living here and going
to Bury schools who are in the exact same situation.
"Children must not be used as pawns like this and must be allowed to
remain here."