Lobbying against deportation

8 January 2011 07:44 am - 34 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Friends of a Sri Lankan man from Easton, UK who is being held in a detention centre and threatened with deportation have lobbied a Bristol MP to call for his release.

More than 40 people met at the Council House on College Green to hand an 800-signature petition to Bristol West MP Stephen Williams in support of Sivarajah Suganthan.

Mr Suganthan, 26, came to the UK in 1999 at the age of 14.

His initial claim for asylum was refused in 2003, and dismissed a second time in 2004 following an appeal.

He now has two children and was settled in Bristol and volunteering at the Refugee Welcome Centre in Easton, signing on with police every month, until he was detained on December 7.

He has since been held at the Dover immigration removal centre, and had a bail hearing via video link on December 31. But his supporters claim the bail hearing was flawed.

Caroline Beatty, manager of the Refugee Welcome Centre, who was at the hearing, said Mr Suganthan had not been given a copy of the Home Office's argument; he did not have a legal representative, and that the hearing failed to take into account a number of factors. These included, she said, the fact he had children in the UK and no family in Sri Lanka.

Ms Beatty said: "Siva had no lawyer and he didn't even have the bail summary to outline the Home Office's position, so he had no idea about what they were going to say.

"They have held him in detention since December 7 because his last attempt to make a claim for asylum was refused in October."

"The bail hearing was meant to release him until they have an intention to actually remove him. To hold him until they have clear process for removal is against their own regulations.

"The bail hearing needs to be held again. We want Siva to be legally represented and for him to make a fresh claim for asylum that recognises the community support that he has."

Supporter Jo Benefield told Mr Williams: "We don't think Siva is a special case but it demonstrates how bad the system is here and shows what is happening to other people. We want another hearing and him out of detention and to make sure he is not deported.

"People would be ashamed if they knew what was happening in their name, and we don't want these things happening without us speaking out about it."

Liberal Democrat MP Mr Williams said he had already raised the matter with immigration minister Damian Green, but promised to do so again.

He said: "The fact that Mr Suganthan has children raised in the UK and he has been here for a substantial period of time should be taken into account.

"But only the minister can decide whether these factors outweigh the fact that he did not have grounds to stay in the first place.

"I will take this new information to Mr Green and I will endeavour to get the petition presented in parliament next week." (Evening Post)

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Comments - 34

tamilan Saturday, 08 January 2011 10:35 PM

Soon you will experience the bombs if the Mahavamsa mindsets continues these type activities.

Ananda Saturday, 08 January 2011 04:56 PM

Not welcome to Sri Lanka, he should deport to that LTTE's new Eelam called 'Tamil Transnational Goverment' under American Tamil Tiger calld Rudrakumaran. We will get you sooner or later !

Appuhamy Saturday, 08 January 2011 05:35 PM

What's the problem with UK. Can't you fellows keep these terrorists. Sri Lanka doesn't need them.

SL Saturday, 08 January 2011 06:02 PM

No we want to send him to the mythical land!

SL Saturday, 08 January 2011 06:03 PM

Yes he can organize and participate for futile protests while he sucks into the welfare system.

YURI Saturday, 08 January 2011 06:54 PM

Hey stay there, here we are back to killing filed.if you come your will be Vanish matter of days

YURI Saturday, 08 January 2011 06:59 PM

Rosh, you talking about Sri Lankan who clean the Arab nations, you toltaLY CONFUSED

Thas Saturday, 08 January 2011 07:33 PM

Don't worry, the BRITISH are humans, not like the SL's.

Royalist Saturday, 08 January 2011 09:57 PM

Nobody recognizes day dreams!

Steve Saturday, 08 January 2011 04:34 PM

Not sure why even we have to wasteour time on this issue

selvyn Sunday, 09 January 2011 01:46 AM

The fact he has been in UK for an inordinate period of time he is well aware of the repercussion in breaking the law of the country and as such he no longer deserve to be a citizen of the UK.

bedi Sunday, 09 January 2011 03:36 AM

US in not Malaysia and Rudrakumaran is not KP bedi

Oyage Sudu Kella Sunday, 09 January 2011 07:23 AM

According to SL history British were refugees in Sri Lanka upto 1948! he he.

KD Sunday, 09 January 2011 09:05 AM

You are next.

KD Sunday, 09 January 2011 09:07 AM

Please don't deport this human garbage. Keep him and let him abuse welfare UK system.

kumar Sunday, 09 January 2011 02:27 PM

Please let this man stay here,we dont wont these type of scum,GOOD RIDDANCE,UK MPS NEED THESE TYPE.
Good Luck Brittain

kumar Sunday, 09 January 2011 02:53 PM

hello :)

gona Saturday, 08 January 2011 11:24 AM

800 LTTE signatures, send him to Tamil Nadu or Canada

victoria Saturday, 08 January 2011 08:56 AM

Ho Heeeee

n.sethupathy Saturday, 08 January 2011 09:07 AM

A news which I read that in srilanka in which a number of foreigners took asylum too,so why he should be deporting there and in the event of being he deported to srilanka can re.deport him to uk saying we could not in the position to accept him.

Senthil Saturday, 08 January 2011 09:03 AM

I know this man well. He owns a flat in Wallawatta. For sure he must be coming to SL on holiday also.

Oyage Sudu Kella Saturday, 08 January 2011 09:24 AM

Very good for these opportunists. While LIVING they degrade our country, boycott Sri Lankan things etc. but when they DIE they need our Sri Lankan papers, to put their obituary with the photo. Kanaka Paaithiayam !!

Rajitha Saturday, 08 January 2011 09:41 AM

keep him in the UK. we don't need traitors.

Royalist Saturday, 08 January 2011 10:25 AM

Why deport to Sri Lanka? He can be deported to the Eelam State in Exile!

rosh Saturday, 08 January 2011 10:47 AM

Oh why couldnt he find a place to clean toilets?

abc Saturday, 08 January 2011 11:11 AM

aend him to Canada or Kangaroo land

ajith Saturday, 08 January 2011 08:03 AM

Not welcome to Srilanka.
We are a better entity than any other country.

pam Saturday, 08 January 2011 12:03 PM

Don't deporte to srilanka,there still white van kidnaps and muders not safe place.

Cobra Saturday, 08 January 2011 12:24 PM

But if he was a proven LTTE terrorist, abracadabra, he will be given citizenship pronto!!!!

mudiyanse Saturday, 08 January 2011 12:28 PM

Since this fellow has arrived in UK at the age of 14 year child ,he should not be blamed for his illegal status . He be allowed to stay in UK on humanitarian grounds.

Lanka Banda Saturday, 08 January 2011 01:00 PM

U.K. How Dare Send This Terrorist to S.L. Hold him there Feed Him and let him die there.

bedi Saturday, 08 January 2011 01:10 PM

So you recogonice Eelam State in Exile, then you are doing good for tamils rohan

Ranjith Gamage Saturday, 08 January 2011 01:51 PM

But no more suicide bombs and claymore bombs!!

tissa Saturday, 08 January 2011 04:29 PM

Let him live in UK with his family and run his business in Sri Lanka as long as he would not breach any law of the countries concerned

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Lobbying against deportation

Comments - 34

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