The Welsh Refugee Council is calling on the UK Border Agency to release Mashal Jabari, 14 years of age, from Campsfield detention prison, and to suspend removal directions until a full assessment of his age can be made. It is very unusual for the Welsh Refugee Council to comment on individual cases, which adds extra urgency to the compelling compassionate grounds for why this boy should be allowed to remain.
Zaki Jabar, aged 15, arrived in the UK alone and extremely traumatised in November 2008. He came from Afghanistan and when he left his father was missing presumed dead and his mother was sick. His family had been attacked after his father had given assistance to the American forces, and Zaki had seen his sister killed. He was placed in foster care in Leicester by Rutland Social Services and given Refugee Status. He is currently sitting his GCSEs. He was anxious to trace his younger brother Mashal.
Mashal Jabari arrived in the UK in October last year, and claimed asylum on arrival. By then he knew that both his parents were dead. He was assessed as being over 18 even though he said he was 14. He was sent to Cardiff where he was initially placed in the hostel for adult new arrivals. He was refused asylum in November. Welsh Refugee Council staff working in the hostel, who have now known Mashal for 4 months, have been extremely concerned because he seemed so clearly to be 14 rather than 18 and because he has been depressed and suicidal at the fear of being sent home to Afghanistan.
Mashal’s GP has stated in writing that Marshal appears to be under 18. Social workers in Cardiff are on record as saying that they think Mashal is under 18 following an initial assessment, but they have not carried out a full age assessment and so it has not been possible to persuade the Border Agency of his age.
Mashal said he had an older brother called Zaki who was also somewhere in the UK. Eventually, through a chance encounter, it has been possible for the 2 brothers to be reunited – they met last month in Leicester. Photos of the meeting show them with their arms around each other – Zaki the tall broad shouldered one, Mashal the small, boyish one.
What You Can do to Help
Contact: Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for the Home Office, requesting that Mashal Jabari is immediately released from Campsfied IRC and returned to his Cardiff community. Model letter to UK Home Secretary – application/msword 30K (better if you can copy/amend/write your own version).
Rt. Hon Alan Johnson, MP – Secretary of State for the Home Office, 3rd Floor, Peel Buildings, 2 Marsham St, London SW1 4DF. Telephone: 020 7035 0195 Fax: 0870 336 9034 Home office email. UKBA email. CIT – Treat Official email.
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March 4, 2010 at 2:19 pm
miriam hollis
I strongly urge someone in Wales to instruct a solicitor who specialises in working on issues to do with families. It would be useful if they have a track record of pushing social services ( often these solicitors work on cases where children are taken in to the care of the local authority).Forgive my comment if this has already been done, but it should be possible to speak with someone who can then visit him to take instructions and apply for an injunction pending a full age assessment being carried out, and bail pending that process.
I presume that in his older brothers SEF interviews he was asked to provide information about other family members, and he may have divulged that he had a younger brother and an approximate age. Has anyone checked what exactly Zaki said during his SEF interviews? If he divulged that he had a younger brother it is also possible for the instructed family solicitor to organise a DNZ test for Marshal.
The family solicitor should liase closely with Marshals immigration practitioner.
March 4, 2010 at 2:21 pm
miriam hollis
whoops DNZ test should be DNA test – my apologies.
I forgot to say that a family law practitioner will organise a medical age assessment and/or a Merton compliant age assessment. Has anyone contacted the Childrens Commissioner about Marshal?
March 4, 2010 at 11:45 pm
Siobhan Corria
Hi there,
Yes Mashal has a welfare solicitor who managed to get him interim from Cardiff Children’s Services until the full JR in May. He was released from detention at about 7pm tonight and taken to foster carer’s in Cardiff. A DNA test may e the next step although I’m not sure. Mashal’s experiences in detention were awful, he was truly terrified.
March 5, 2010 at 1:30 pm
miriam hollis
Congratulations on the news that Mashal has been released from detention and is now with foster carers – do keep an eye on him though because not all foster carers are sympathetic to asylum seeking children and I have known children who remain desperately unhappy. Social Services should also be arranging regular family visits to his brother in Leicester and vice versa.
I’m sorry that Mashal had such a terrible time in detention. Even when children are with their own families they have a terrible time, so I am sure that it was frightening, bewildering and confusing for Mashal.
My very best wishes to him, his brother, and good luck with keeping Mashal in the uk.
March 5, 2010 at 3:25 pm
Greg Lewis
Here is the confirmation of Mashal’s release from the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns (NCADC):
“Mashal Jabari is free. A Judicial Review went in yesterday morning and the judge agreed that at present – until another full age assessment is completed – Mashal is to be considered 14 years of age and placed with a foster family in Wales where he has some support.
“He was released from Campsfield House IRC early yesterday evening.
“Thank you to everyone who sent letters, faxes and emails to the Rt. Hon. Alan Johnson MP, Evan Harris MP and their local MPs. The response has been overwhelming and invaluable and messages of support will be given to Mashal and advice and assistance passed on to those currently supporting him in Wales.”