Urgent: Florence and Precious Need Your Help NOW!

by Christine McLaughlin

Since their dramatic, last minute stay of deportation half an hour before they were due to be forced on a plane for Malawi, Florence Mhango and ten year old daughter Precious have been held in Yarls Wood Detention Centre, waiting for news.

Thanks to the generosity of their friends and other community members in Glasgow, the services of Paul Chen, QC have been secured.  He is currently working on the complex legal arguments that need to be developed if Florence and Precious are to have a chance of winning their forthcoming judicial review.  However, Home Office Lawyers have applied for the case to be expedited, in which case they could be back in Malawi within the week.

There are two practical ways to help:

• Email Alan Johnson, Home Secretary at public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk and ask him to intervene to prevent the case against Florence and Precious from being fast tracked.
• Make a donation towards their legal costs.  Send cheques payable to Crannhill World Cafe, Cranhill Community Project, Cranhill Parish Church, Bellrock Street, Glasgow, G33 3HB (write "donation for Florence and Precious Mhango" on the back).  If someone close to you likes to buy you vile bathing accoutrements or "ornaments" that are anything but ornamental, you could avoid that trip to the charity shop on Boxing Day by suggesting they send off a donation instead of buying you a gift.

Other than that, send your positive thoughts and/or prayers and keep your fingers crossed.  I'll keep you posted on any updates.

Urgent: Please Help Florence and Precious Mhango

by Christine McLaughlin

Florence and Precious Mhango are awaiting deportation at Yarlswood Detention Centre and their flight is due to leave at 7pm tomorrow. For the past six years they have made the UK their home, but last week the Home Office made the decision, quite unexpectedly, to refuse their plea for asylum and send them back to Malawi.

If they return, ten year old Precious will be considered the property of her father's family, who will take her away from her mother. It is unlikely she will be able to continue her education (only 1 in 94 Malawian girls are enrolled in a Primary School, according to UNICEF) and it is likely she will be subjected to Female Genital Mutilation. Although democracy arrived in Malawi in 1994, the government has failed to take any action against this barbaric act of torture which is thought to be inflicted on around 18% of Malawian girls.

The Green Party deplores enforced imprisonment of asylum seekers and is in favour of making our country a more welcoming place for these vulnerable people - for example by giving asylum seekers the right to work.

Please help Florence and Precious Mhango by emailing Home Office Minister Phil Woolas at phil.woolas@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk and requesting their urgent humanitarian release.