2,000 support bid for asylum

TWO asylum seekers celebrated a small victory as they reached a landmark in their bid to stay in the UK.

Supporters gathered at Oldham’s Unitarian Chapel to celebrate the collection of more than 2,000 signatures on a petition backing their campaign.

Abdoulaye Diabate, from the Ivory Coast in Africa, and Iranian Taha Ghasemi are both fighting deportation for fear of torture and imprisonment in their respective countries.

Oldham campaigners will sned the petition to the Home Office in an attempt to have the pair stay in this country on compassionate grounds.

They proudly showed off all 2,000 signatures on display boards at the King Street chapel, as well as tucking into a celebration cake to mark the achievement.

Through the help of the chapel, both men now have legal assistance and immigration solicitors have advised them that they have a case to claim asylum and seek refugee status. Solicitors are now putting together a case to appeal the deportation decisions.

Abdoulaye was tortured and imprisoned but managed to escape and flee Africa to the UK in 2006.

His sister, his last living family member, was subsequently raped and beaten and he has no idea whether she is still alive.

Taha, a member of the Kurdish Democratic Party, was severely beaten, tortured and imprisoned after supporting the Kurdish rights campaign in Iran. Both destitute, they believe being deported would lead to torture and even death.