Justice for Rima Campaign

News

See the front page for the very latest news.
Here you can find older updates and other items from the campaign.

UPDATE 25th April

There has been little progress over the last few weeks. Any political activity has been put on hold due to the General Election. MPs ceased to be MPs upon the dissolution of the Westminster Parliament, and so can take no further action. Even though the UK Government remains in power, we do not expect any response from the Home Secretary. Meanwhile, the wheels of the legal process also grind exceeding slow, but the solicitors continue to be confident should Rima's case actually come before the courts.

Once a new UK Government is formed we expect once again to have to work hard on Rima's behalf. We also expect to have to ask you once again to help us with your support. At this point in time, we're not sure exactly what form this might take, but will let you know as soon as we can.

UPDATE 25th March

Rima’s Campaign – Progress and Further Action

Dear Supporters,

When we started asking for help with Rima's campaign on February 18th, it seemed likely that she would be on the streets of Rome by now. Thanks to the wonderful response we got from so many people, she is still with us and we continue to celebrate the gift of each new day as a family together.

We have no doubt that the sheer number of people who wrote letters, the number of different politicians contacted, and the media profile, all contributed to making the Home Office take this case slowly and carefully. You also persuaded our MP, John Robertson, to offer that he will intervene – but only if all else fails.

The legal case now seems to be back in a slower phase, as a result of your pressure, but also of another case which had an Interim Judgement suggesting that not all deportations to Italy were affected by the first Test Case. We are now working with our lawyer to try and make the most of this opportunity to present our case, but the outcome remains very uncertain.

All of this means that we still need your support, and that we are likely to continue to need it over the next few months. It is possible that we will put back into crisis at very short notice, in which case we will ask you to take urgent action again. In the mean time, however, we would like to ask you (and everyone that you have involved in the campaign) to write a couple of slightly different letters.

Further Letter Writing Action

You can download suggested letters below, but of course the more you can personalise these the better. The letters are as follows:

  1. Whoever else you write to, if you are a UK voter you can write to John Robertson, our MP, to thank him for saying that he will act to try and help Rima if it becomes necessary. You can use Letter 1 as the basis for this.
  2. If your MP told you that they are writing to the Home Office or to our MP in support, then you need Letter 2. This thanks them for responding positively, and asks them to let John Robertson know that they will support any representations that he decides need to be made.
  3. If your MP replied but brushed off your request in one way or another, then you need Letter 3. This points out that other MPs have responded positively and asks your MP to let John Robertson know that they will support any representations that he decides need to be made.
  4. If you have had supportive letters from MSPs or Welsh AMs, then a brief letter thanking them for that and acknowledging that there is not much more they can do would be nice.
  5. If you have had a letter from an MEP, write to thank them and suggest that they contact Catherine Stihler MEP to offer their support – Catherine raised Rima's case in a question in the European Parliament, which is a pretty amazing thing to do.

Not sure who to write to? Go to our resources page

Petitions, Postcards, Workshops

We are still collecting petitions, and these seem to have the most impact on politicians if they come with a "story" attached; the most favoured ones so far are those collected by children and young people. There is now no particular deadline for sending us these, so if you have appropriate places to collect signatures, please think about doing this. Download the petition. (Do use this link for the petition - it's been updated to reflect the change in Home Secretary!) Also don't forget the online petition.

We also have postcards for people who would not feel up to writing a letter but are wanting to do more than just sign a petition. Let me know if you need some (and how many), and we'll post them to you as quickly as we can. Contact us at letrimastay@gmail.com

Some of you, we know, have been keen to talk to others about Rima's case and the wider asylum issues it raises especially concerning children, age disputes and deportation and detention. We are preparing a workshop pack that you can use in group meetings if you would like to do this which you will soon be able to download from our website. We'd be happy to arrange for one of us to speak to you to help you prepare, if you would like, or alternatively to see if one of our campaign team might be available to run a workshop on these issue.

Please keep an eye on this website and the Facebook group Justice for Rima Andmariam. We will use those for most updates, saving email for really urgent and important action requests.

Once again, thanks. Your support has already given us Mothering Sunday as a family, and we are now looking forward to spending the Easter Holidays together. Rima continues to work hard at College, and has now been given the chance of a really great work placement from April. If we all keep working we can give her the chance to stay with us until she is ready to leave home naturally, and take her place in the world.

with love, hope and gratitude,
Robert, Alison, and Rima

Can you provide personal testimony?

Many people have written lovely things about us and Rima in their campaign letters. We realize that we should have been asking for some of these lovely things to be written in a way that will make them admissible as legal evidence if we still succeed in getting in front of a judge. Could we ask those of you who know us or Rima personally to send us signed letters addressed To Whom It May Concern which talk from your knowledge about any of the following issues you feel you can have an opinion on:

18th March 2010 Private Eye

There is an article referring to Rima's case on page 31 of Private Eye (issue 1258 beginning March 19th). This is not available online, but a scan of the article can be found here .

15th March 2010 Times Online blog

Pictures of the family make James Glossop's photo-blog in the Times online. Alongside others from Red Road, and, bizarrely, pictures from Ark Royal and a Harris Tweed fashion shoot!

BBC Radio Scotland 14th March 2010

A couple of excerpts of Alison on Call Kaye are used on BBC Radio Scotland's "Sundays with Shereen" programme, as a lead into a wider discussion by the panel on the programme.

12th March 2010
The Times Educational Supplement Scotland

There's a great piece in Times Educational Supplement Scotland.
It's on page 18: two lovely pictures and great coverage of Rima's college, too.
Here's the online version without the pictures.

The Times 11th March 2010

Rima's case is highlighted in the Times Scotland. It's on page 3 of the paper copy. The online edition featured it on the frontpage of its Scotland section. Read the article online.

Alison appears on "Call Kaye"

Alison appeared on BBC Radio Scotland's "Call Kaye" programme on Thursday 11th March.


Tuesday 9th March 2010
Rima's Case raised in European Parliament

Catherine Stihler, one of Scotland's MEPs, raised Rima's case in the European Parliament on Tuesday 9th March by asking a question of the European Commission President (José Manuel Barroso). There is video of the question (and reply). The question starts at timemark (15:43:50). Because of compatibility issues the link to the video might not work in all browsers on all computers. For the record, the "Douglas" Catherine refers to is Dougie Birley who not only asked her the question, but also organised a petition at his school. Billiant stuff Dougie!

Rima's case also features on Catherine Stihler's website.

Monday 8th March 2010

Good news, for now at least. Alison writes:
"Legal and political pressure all in a rush.
We have just received some assurances that no removal directions have been set.
Rima and I went to report to UKBA, Brand Street today, together.
Very frightening but we have returned with a next report date of 28th June.
THANK YOU for all your incredible support."

An article on OpenDemocracy.net

Friday 5th March 2010

Update 03 March 2010

1. Legal Update

Rima’s solicitor has, as required, made a submission to the High Court explaining why he thinks that Rima’s case includes issues not addressed by the Test Case which was decided three weeks ago and precipitated our current crisis. He should hear back from the High Court fairly quickly as to whether they accept his case.

The letter we received from the Treasury Solicitor which has triggered our urgent campaign had stated that our former Judicial Review would be void as of 1st March.

Some MPs have received letters from the Home Office reassuring them that there is a Judicial Review pending and there are no immediate plans to deport Rima, but Rima has not been told this and is only acting on the letter of 15th February from the Treasury Solicitor

The Head of UKBA Scotland, Phil Taylor, wrote to The Herald on Saturday (27 Feb) stating that ‘it is right that she will be deported’ but has not responded to us or Rima.

Today one of our supporters was able to ask a question of Phil Woolas (minister for borders and immigration) in a regional meeting in Wakefield Town Hall regarding the ‘managed processes’ in his office. This related to the contradictions above and how this affects vulnerable children and their guardians.

2. Political Update

Our MP is now saying that he is convinced that he should write to the Home Secretary on Rima’s behalf. He will not do this while there is any outstanding legal action at all, because his experience is that all he gets then is a letter telling him to wait for the conclusion of the legal action. He is, however, now convinced that he should support Rima, based on the large volume of letters which he is getting, the letters from her college tutors about how well she is doing, and the information about her case which we sent him. This is important, because only our constituency MP has the right to bypass officials and request the Home Secretary himself to consider the case.

In addition both the English and Scottish Children’s Commissioners are now supportive.

3. Campaign Update

Petitions are starting to reach us from several places across the UK. Children and young people who have met Rima are taking the lead, with several schools circulating school-wide petitions. We have had to print our second batch of 1000 postcards as the first lot have all gone.

There were at least three letters in The Herald in reply to one from Phil Taylor (Regional Director, Borders Agency) mentioned above, all strongly supportive of Rima and of a more humane approach to asylum. The Scottish Government have received an overwhelming number of letters and have had to centralize their responses.

What you can do now

Many people have written lovely things about us and Rima in their campaign letters. We realize that we should have been asking for some of these lovely things to be written in a way that will make them admissible as legal evidence if we still succeed in getting in front of a judge. Could we ask those of you who know us or Rima personally to send us signed letters addressed To Whom It May Concern which talk from your knowledge about any of the following issues you feel you can have an opinion on:

With love, hope and gratitude,
Alison, Robert & Rima

Campaign Update 01 March 2010

The 14-day deadline specified in the Treasury Solicitor's letter has passed (on Monday 1st March). Our solicitor has responded as requested in that letter, but we do not yet know if the Court will accept his submission. This means Rima could be detained and deported at any time. She no longer feels safe at home - indeed, she is no longer safe in our home. Lots of people have shown their support through signing the online petition (1,000 signatures and growing). Others have been sending campaign postcards to the Home Secretary. We have been moved and humbled by the response so far, but please keep up the action in support of the campaign.

Your support and prayers mean so much to us.

With love, hope and gratitude,
Alison, Robert & Rima

Letters in the Glasgow Herald 01 March 2010

Rima is making the Letters page of The Herald. Under the headline "Bureaucracy seems more important than the fate of this vulnerable woman" there are 2 letters in support of Rima. The letters can be found here. (Half-way down the page.) A further letter not mentioning Rima by name but adding further support to the case that UKBA needs to change its approach to this sort of case was published on 2nd March - it can be found here. (Three-quarters of the way down the page, "Careful thought is needed on asylum".)

Glasgow Herald and Evening Times
26 February 2010

February 26th. The story was in The Herald (page 11) with accompanying picture
and, in a slightly longer version, in The Evening Times (the Herald's sister paper). The latter article can be found online here:
"Fight for student who faces being deported".

Campaign Update 24 February 2010

No news yet on the legal front. Robert & Alison met with their MP John Robertson on Friday. He was sympathetic and asked for more information, but has not yet committed to supporting Rima's case. Anyone who is in his constituency (Glasgow Northwest) would be a particularly valuable letter at the moment - he needs to know that people locally really care about this.

Campaign Update 17 February 2010

We urgently need help again to try and stop Rima being deported to Italy. A recent ruling in the Court of Appeal has found Italy to be a 'safe country' and dependent cases are seen as being resolved. Whilst there are many other issues in Rima's case which we are working on with her lawyer, her situation is now very precarious indeed and we need a substantial letter campaign for clemency and for her right to remain in the UK. We understand that Removal Directions may be issued in the next 2 weeks if our legal route is not successful so we wish now to make a focused and substantial effort in sending in letters of support.

Please write letters yourselves and get as many people as possible to send letters.

We attach letters for you to use and urge you to write to your own MP and MSP (MSPs were instrumental in helping in our last attempt to help Rima). If you live outside the UK please also write as we know international pressure is highly effective in these cases.

If possible do try and personalize the letter to help with this case being taken seriously. If you know Rima it would help greatly if you could describe what a wonderful young girl she is.

We also urge you to send a letter to the following:

Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP
Home Secretary
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

- - - -

Alex Salmond
Office of the First Minister
St. Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
email: FirstMinister@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

We have evidence that volume of letters supporting a claim makes a real difference:

Please also send a hard copy of your letter to:

Director: UK Border Agency Scotland
Festival Court,
200 Brand Street,
Glasgow G51 1DH

Please feel free to circulate this widely and to enrol others into helping us. We know that it was your letters and creative efforts that helped us so much last May.

We'd also be grateful if, during this time, you could communicate with us by email and not by phone if at all possible as we known we will be in for a difficult few weeks and want to try and maintain a safe and peaceful family environment for Rima as we try and keep her in the U.K.

With love, hope and gratitude,
Alison, Robert and Rima