Graham supporting Ashleigh McMaster every step of the way
Posted by Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness, at 12:11, Wed 16 August 2006:
A decision to deport Keyingham resident, Ashleigh McMaster, to Zimbabwe ‘would fail to appreciate the danger she faces in her native country and would be an immoral and unjust judgement.’
This is the message that Graham has delivered to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal ahead of Ashleigh’s appeal hearing in Bradford on Friday. Graham has written to the Tribunal in support of her case. In his letter, he repeats his concern for the safety of Ashleigh if she is returned to Zimbabwe, citing the abuse and persecution that several members of her family have already endured there. He claims that the Government has no idea what will happen to returnees once they arrive in Zimbabwe and no way of monitoring their continuing safety.
He also offers his personal support to Ashleigh and her family. “I have met Miss McMaster and her family on a number of occasions and have been in regular contact with them for over a year. She is an impressive, intelligent young woman who potentially has a lot to offer this country. She is part of a tight knit family which lives together in Keyingham, near Hull. She is desperate to live, work and contribute to this country and is very frightened at the prospect of a return to Zimbabwe,” he writes.
Ashleigh has been battling for three years for the right to remain in the UK. She has now been granted a final appeal to stay with her family in the East Riding. The appeal, which could take up to 18 months, will begin on August 18, when Ashleigh will present her case at a hearing in Bradford.
Graham said, “I was delighted to be able to write a letter in support of Ashleigh’s case and I hope it will help the Tribunal in making a positive decision. The United Nations humanitarian chief, Jan Egeland, described Zimbabwe as beyond crisis and as in meltdown. The Government has no way of knowing what will happen to returnees once they arrive in Zimbabwe. Ashleigh will face an uncertain future if she is forced to return and I will do everything I can to prevent this from happening.”
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