Scottish parishioners make desperate plea to prevent deportation

[lizardley]

Parishioners from St Michael’s Parish in Parkhead, Glasgow, Scotland, are praying for a stay of execution—and planning a final protest— for a member of their congregation who was due to be deported to Nigeria tomorrow.
John Oguchukwu fled to Britain from Nigeria and claimed asylum nine years ago after his parents and sister were killed and he was tortured by a ritualistic cult. The UK Border Agency (UKBA) decided to return him to Africa this week, to his distress and that of the parishioners who have been campaigning to keep him here, a campaign supported by Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow.
Speaking from Colnbrook detention centre in Middlesex, a frightened Mr Oguchukwu told the SCO: “ I left Nigeria for good, I can’t go back, there is nothing for me there, I feel in agony and pain but I so grateful so many people have supported me in Scotland.”

Read more at: sconews.co.uk/news/10711/parishioners-make-desperate-plea-to-prevent-deportation/

 

[Dale_M]

I am unfamiliar with his case, however a pressure group in UK says he is already under arrest, and is being held at the Harmondsworth Detention Centre, Heathrow.
ncadc.cmph.org/o/poBqa7zDNi3bcIGeRBH7CQ

According to that article he has been seeking asylum in the UK for nine years.

A local newspaper (registration required) reports that his advocates are claiming that an administrative error has prevented an appeal he is entitled to.

"The final decision against him in the High Court should have allowed his lawyer time to appeal to the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.

"This is unprecedented, harsh and extremely unfair. It has happened because his case worker neglected to put him on the legacy list created to tackle the large backlog of asylum seekers.

"Anyone who had come here before 2007 was allowed to go on the list.

greenocktelegraph.co.uk/news/greenock/articles/2011/07/19/415313-asylum-seeker-terrified-of-deportation/

If he is to be deported on Wednesday, July 20th then time is very short indeed.

 

[TempleofTheSoul]

Mr. Oguchukwu will be in my prayers.

 

[lizardley]

John Oguchukwu was deported to Nigeria yesterday to what friends and fellow parishioners in Scotland fear will be ‘certain death.’

 

[Dale_M]

John Oguchukwu was deported to Nigeria yesterday to what friends and fellow parishioners in Scotland fear will be ‘certain death.’

If so, then perhaps all we can do is pray for him at this point. I wonder if he will be able to find a way to stay in contact with his friends in Scotland

However, perhaps there is still some hope. A local newspaper is reporting that he may not have been deported yet.

THE fate of a Nigerian asylum seeker with Inverclyde connections is still unclear - several hours after he was due to be deported from the UK.

Border Agency officials insisted this morning that they could not yet confirm whether John Oguchukwu had been removed from the country or not.

The Border Agency was due to put him on a plane to his home country at 11.20pm last night.

greenocktelegraph.co.uk/news/greenock/articles/2011/07/21/415412-johns-fate-is-unclear/

That article was just posted to the web, so perhaps it is current information. Lizardley, do you have personal knowledge of his situation?