The folowing statement is from the UNITY Centre in glasgow.
 
A family from Nigeria were left stunned and shocked after UKBA immigration officials burst into their home in Whiteinch, Glasgow yesterday (27 Feb) and detained the husband in front of his three young children and pregnant wife.

The UKBA officials had wanted to detain everyone in the family when they forced their way into the family’s home at 7.00 in the morning. However after the mum refused to go with them they forced the husband on the floor, handcuffed him in front of his children aged between 1 and 4 years old and took him away in a prison van.

The mum who had been only just got up to look after her children was still in her nightclothes and became extremely distressed and refused to leave the house. UKBA officials could not force her to go with them following a change in policy regarding the use of force against pregnant women only last week.

Officials knew that the mum was pregnant as the family had been subject to the Family Returns Procedure and forced to have regular meetings with immigration officials which included disclosing medical information to the UK Border Agency. It is not clear why the officials felt it was still appropriate to raid the family’s home early in the morning after policies about the use force against a pregnant woman had changed.

The UKBA had wanted intially the family to go to voluntary self check in for a flight back to Nigeria last Monday but this was cancelled after the family submitted a fresh asylum claim at the very last minute. The new claim was rejected almost immediately so on Monday this week the husband submitted another fresh claim in his own name.
He has now been taken to Dungavel to wait while his asylum claim is being considered as part of the Fast Track process usually used for single people, with no dependents, who are just starting their asylum claims.

This is a cruel and vindictive action by UKBA officials. They have left a pregnant mum, who is experiencing heavy morning sickness and stomach pains, with looking after her three small children on her own whilst worrying about the well-being of her husband who has been locked up despite having a legitimate asylum claim.

Whether this action was properly sanctioned by the UKBA’s so-called independent children’s welfare panel is unknown. There is nothing in the UKBA’s Family Returns Policy (Chapter 45) about separating a parent from the family while he has an outstanding immigration case.

The recent change of policy came about partially due to publicity following the mistreatment of a pregnant woman by security guards in the UKBA's family detention centre at Cedars. The woman involved in this case which received much publicity following strong criticism by the Inspector of Prisons last year had been also arrested by the very same Immigration Enforcement Team based in Glasgow where she had been living with her husband and two year old son.

In certain circumstances separation of parents from their family is allowed under the UKBA Family Returns Procedure but only when necessary to enforce removal directions and for the smallest amount of time necessary. Detaining a father who doesn’t have removal directions set against him and has an outstanding asylum case seems to fly in the face of the stated policy.
 
The woman’s eldest child is terrified. She would not go outside the family’s flat to day because she was convinced the police were waiting outside to take arrest her like they did her daddy. When the post was delivered she started crying because she thought the UKBA had come again.
 
Unity volunteers are supporting the mum and are discussing the next step with her and her husband. We will put out more news when we have it. Please contact the Unity Centre for more information.
 
The UNITY Centre
30 Ibrox Street
Glasgow
G51 1AQ 
0141 427 7992
www.unitycentreglasgow.org
info@unitycentreglasgow.org