Browse Sections
Interactive
Popular Sections
Spotty showersNews
The Hussain family - Shahinda (left) and Sameeha (right)
Deaf sisters beg - please let us stay
11/12/2003
TWO deaf Pakistani sisters seeking asylum in the UK are now
waiting to hear from immigration officials to rule on their
futures.
Sameeha, aged 18 and sixteen-year-old Shahinda Hussian, fear they
will be unable to communicate if they are sent back to Pakistan
because they have grown up in the UK using British sign
language.
They live with their father and mother in Cheetham Hill in
Manchester who recently appealed against a ruling by Home Secretary
David Blunkett that they must be deported back to Pakistan.
Mr Akhtar Hussain was an active member of the Pakistani People's
Party and believes his life is in jeopardy from political opponents
if he returns. He claims he has already paid a ransom to get back
his daughters who were kidnapped.
The family is asking to stay under new Home Office rules which will
give UK residential status to 15000 families who claimed asylum
before 2 October 2000 and have a child born in the UK.
Said Mr Hussain: "My family are eligible to stay under these rules
and we have put this forward to the appeals tribunal. Now all we
can do is pray and keep faith.
"It's a very emotional time for my family as we don't know where
our future lies. We have had some great support from the community
including the deaf children at my daughters' school and especially
the national coalition against deportation."
Mr Hussain, says he was an active member of the Pakistan People's
Party (PPP) and claims his political involvement caused resentment
by members of a militant group in Lahore.
He says Sameeha and Shahinda were kidnapped from school and held
for ransom.
Mr Hussain claims he paid kidnappers 50,000 rupees to get them back
and promised to leave PPP.
He says a few weeks later the kidnappers, not convinced that Mr
Hussain had left the party, attempted to kidnap his daughters again
from school and held them at gunpoint outside the school gates
until Mr Hussain turned up and promised to join them.
The family then fled to Baluchistan - 300 miles from Lahore but
they were afraid of being discovered and fled to the UK four years
ago.
Mr Hussain claims his extended family in Pakistan are still
receiving threats.
His asylum claim in the UK was rejected because Home Office
officials did not believe his story.
He said: "My two daughters are at college and school and they have
been doing really well. They have learnt British sign language and
they are getting specialist help. These opportunities were not
available to them in Pakistan. They are both happily settled in the
UK but if we are sent back they will not be able to use their new
skills as it will be of no benefit in a country which doesn't
understand British sign language and looks down on disabled
children.
"My son was born in the UK and is a British citizen, he could not
cope in Pakistan."
Got an opinion you want to share?| Card | BT Fee |
| Virgin Credit Card | 2.98% |
| Capital One Low Rate Balance Transfer | 1.7% |
| Capital One Low Rate Platinum | HASH(0x1484500c) |
| Capital One Fixed Rate Card | 0.0% |
| Company | Typical APR |
| Platinum Exclusive Loan | 7.8% |
| Halifax (Semi-exclusive) | 8.6% |
| Bank of Scotland (Semi-exclusive) | 8.6% |
| Alliance & Leicester | 8.7% |
| Lloyds TSB | 8.9% |
| Provider | AER* |
|
ICICI BANK HiSAVE Savings Account |
5.50% |
|
PRINCIPALITY BS e-SAVER |
5.35% |
|
ANGLO IRISH BANK Easy Access Account Issue 2 |
5.25% |
|
FIRST DIRECT Everyday e-Saver |
2.75% |
|
ALLIANCE & LEICESTER Online Tracker |
4.75% |
|
BRADFORD & BINGLEY eSavings 6 |
4.60% |
|
SAINSBURYS FINANCE Internet Saver |
3.50% |
|
ALLIANCE & LEICESTER eSaver - Issue 2 |
5.00% |
|
POST OFFICE Instant Saver |
3.75% |