Advertisement
Deportation fear of Kurdish student in age dispute
Reporter: BEATRIZ AYALA
Date online: 19 July 2010
AN orphaned Breeze Hill School student, who fled Iraq after his parents were killed, faces being deported after authorities ruled he is older than he claims.
Kurdish youngster Rabar Hamad spent 10 days in the wheel arch of a truck escaping from his home in Kirkuk, northern Iraq, after his parents were killed by a bomb in 2008.
He arrived in Wigan, where the town’s social services department has been caring for him.
But Wigan Social Services believe Rabar — who insists he is 16 — is actually 20 and have now scrapped funding for his place at a children’s home in Oldham.
He faces becoming homeless on August 5 and being deported back to Iraq where he fears for his own safety.
Rabar said: “I had many problems in Iraq, my parents were killed by a bomb in 2008 and a neighbour helped me to get out on a truck.
“For 10 days I only had water and biscuits. I didn’t know where I was going, I didn’t know anything about England, I just knew I’d be safe.”
Social workers undertake age assessments on any unaccompanied asylum-seeking young person which include looking at physical appearance, communication and personal background.
They originally decided he was 18 in 2008. A second assessment by an independent doctor said he was aged between 13 to 16.
He moved to an Oldham children’s home last year and joined Breeze Hill School in September.
But Wigan social workers have now withdrawn funding after a re-assessment this year decided he was 20.
As his asylum application was refused, Rabar faces being deported despite claims that he has proof of age. Rabar said he was stunned to be deemed an adult.
He said: “They asked me questions, sometimes I understood, sometimes I didn’t.
“The first interpreter spoke Arabic, but I speak Kurdish.
“They said I was 18, then later 20, but do I look like I’m 20?”
He felt safe for the first time at the home and added: “It is so good, the staff are brilliant and they make food for me. I’m really happy.
“Breeze Hill is brilliant.
“I only had one year of school when I was six but now I am reading and writing.
“I like English and science and will take some GCSEs if I am here next year.”
Rabar dreams of being a footballer and has had trials for Fulham, Bury and the Nike Football Academy. He won the school’s Best Player of the Year award and plays for Oldham Greenhill Football Club.
Failing that, he would like to work as a plumber or electrician.
His English teacher Sally Hyman was at his last meeting with social workers last Wednesday.
She said: “They said he would have to leave the children’s home, the implication that they would no longer be providing any money for children’s home that he lives in.
“The social worker handed Rabar documents for the application of his removal on Wednesday.
“Rabar had official documents showing his age and photos on his file but the originals have been lost by either the Home Office or Social Services and photocopies can’t be accepted.”
Rabar is desperate for contact with his 10-year-old sister in Iraq and said: “I’m worried for my safety.
“I don’t want to go to Iraq, they will kill me like they did my parents.
“I want to stay, the children’s home is safe and I can get an education.
“I like everyone here and I want to study and live here.
“I’d like to live here forever.”
The school has started a petition urging the Home Secretary to allow Rabar to stay. It wants Rabar be properly age assessed by a medical expert.
Staff have also contacted Phil Woolas, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, and head teacher Bernard Phillips said: “Breeze Hill is in full support of Rabar and his application to stay in the UK.
“He is a wonderful student and deserves justice.”
Marlyn Banham, Wigan Council's Head of Social Care (CYPS), said they could not comment on individual cases but confirmed they had undertaken two age assessments which had reached the same conclusion.
She said: “We have also sought independent legal advice on this issue and this has not disagreed with these findings.”
Comments
Amazing journey really......Turkey, Greece, several Balkan countries, Austria, Germany, Belgium, France.....all of which apart from Turkey would have been considered safe....but he ended up here.....why's that? Wouldn't have anything to do with our over-generous welfare system?
This is clearly another mess up by social services, I'v seen the facebook group for this child, everyone that knows him at school or in the community have posotive things to say about him. Why doesnt home office give this boy a chance to a bright future as he seems to be a bright and talented young lad. Hope it all goes well for you Rabar, our support is with you
You read in murder cases that they can tell from bones how old someone is. There must be a test to find out his age better than talking to him and guessing.
I wonder why he left his ten year old sister behind.
Why is the title of this article not "Deportation HOPE". I dread to think how much this "child" has cost and will cost the taxpayer. The quicker the deportation the better for us all.
Sorry but send him home, if he came into this country illegally which he did, and what I've read he's come out with every excuse in the book about wanting to stay, I'm not surprised freebies all the way. Iraq is now reasonable safe so send him home.
What I find amazing is that shopkeepers can be fined or even closed if they sell to a person who is under 18. How are these people supposed to make an educated guess when the whole of the Social Services and a doctor get this lad's age as being between 13 & 20! And they had time to assess and talk to him.
Tony Mac
Givin' Up Giving In
Send him back now,the longer he stays the harder it will be for him.
He is a 16 year old lad that was the conclusion of a doctor of 40 years experience. Who is going to be right a doctor or a bureaucrat in the council?
This kid has lost his parents because of a war this country started, he should be allowed to stay full stop.
Arriving without papers and ID is a classic trick. Many 'asylum seekers' destroy their paperwork to play the system. Just 16 yet manged to make the journey to Wigan from Iraq? No one took any payment from him for his entire journey?
Wonder why he did not go to the Iraqi embassy in the nearest safe country.
As harsh as it seems deportation is the only option.Just because he successfully entered this country illegally and has been a model citizen only gives hope to others to follow his example.Sorry but the country's full.
Martin Stanton
If you really want him to stay in the UK why don't you put your money where your mouth is, and adopt him (and his sister).
There are bright and talented people all over the world, why not allow them all into the UK? Perhaps when you worked that one out you could work out how ship out the dull and talentless ones!
This boy is a good lad, I seen him play football for hes school and his club. He is credit to Oldham. He is not wasting Tax payers Money, if that's the case , i think we should get people on benefits to start working.
If that man thinks he's 13 to 16. I'm 67 years old & drawing my pension. Send him back to Iraq.
If he turned up in Wigan why has he been offloaded onto Oldham. Sorry, but he should return to his own country. This country is struggling to provide adequately for those who have paid taxes throughout their working lives into this country.
I'm sorry but he should never have been in the UK in the first place. He has no documents to prove who he is or to prove that his parents are actually dead! He could be ANYONE!
Send him back!
10 days in the wheel-arch of a truck??? Rigormortis would have set in!! I'm stiff as a board after four & half hours to Tenerife!! He should be sent back tomorrow...with a slap around the head for leaving his sister, who, is probably in the next wheel-arch bound for the easy-pickings of UK... unless one of these do-gooder teachers who are all singing his praise, is willing to 'adopt' him and finance his stay here ?????????? I guess not!...well it is their 6 weeks holiday!!!
i would happily take this boy on and his sister if it means 2 children who have lost their parents can have a safe life
Izz44 if Iraq is reasonable and safe then what are our troops still doing there? alot of stuff goes on there and alot of it is filtered before showing on our TVs.
Prodiver, you need to pay attention to detail, his original ID was lost by the home office or the social services,
flake- why wud i need to put my money where my mouth is? just because he is talented? make sense, this proves that most people against this young lad are people with a small mind and arogant
dear mr "Get it Right", wigan is the social services that are funding the young person, but he has been placed in a carehome in oldham.. I cant believe some people are soo illiterate that they dont even know simple things and they go around talking about tax payers money. I rather pay that money to a child that will make the most of it and not be a loser like most of our kids
Martin Stanton
Do keep up with the news.......our troops left Iraq over two years ago.
Martin Stanton, I'd say that you're the one with restricted vision. Clearly you didnot or could not understand my last post. There are thousands around the world who are bright & talented, a few of them criminally enter the UK with the intent of economic migration, why should they benefit by queue jumping?
Also remember this isn't just about one child, there are thousands in this position, are you suggesting the UK should allow them all to remain here?
Make a rule for one & it applies to all.
@Chris Brandler - America started the war, we're just allies, the same way they were our allies in WW2, otherwise we'd probably all be speaking German. The UK is full, we haven't got jobs for our own people, let alone failed asylum seekers from Iraq.
Was it not Saddam Hussein that persecuted the Kurds? As we all know he is no longer around so who are the Kurds fleeing from? Why pass through dozens of safe countries and end up in the UK? Is it because we provide free homes and generous benefits yet struggle to care for our elderly residents who have paid into the system all their life? As the vast majority of comments agree, enough is enough.
heloo people be realistic rabar is a good lad ask those that know him he is a sweet lad which is confused and sceared he's only 15 ther poor lad plays football with us OLDHAM GREENHILL FC he has such talent that will take him further in life,deoported or not he will be missed around the local football team,grow up and look at the situation which is happening in Iraq dont you people have feelings. think as if its your own son how would you feel eh? rabar my friend every one from glodwick is wid u
binandgonandunit,
I, for one would have Rabar live with me if it were allowed. And for your information, the teachers that are fighting his cause are compassionate and care. They entered the profession to teach, and, part of that job involves forming professional relationships with these children regardless of their ethnicity. You cannot teach and not care for the children-it goes with the job. Rabar is a good lad and works hard. We need more youths like him to set an example.
Have Your Say
The social services do not make decisions like this lightly, there has to be good evidence. He has had three goes at persuading people that he is a genuine assylum seeker, and failed at every one, this includes a court hearing. His claim has been refused, and he must therefore be returned to his country of origin.
As he says I'd like to live here forever' but doesn't every assylum seeker? By allowing one to stay because they have a few supporters would set a precedent for all the others.
By Flake @ 19/07/2010 13:14:19