Defend asylum seeker students:

The ongoing tough treatment of asylum seeker is directly impacting on students including the detentions and deportation of student asylum seekers. Two important cases need immediate action:

Azim Ansari is an Afghan refugee studying at St Johns College Oxford. He fled the Taliban in 2001. During his time in the UK, he gained two As and a B in physics, maths and computing at the City of Bristol College.

The Home Office is trying to deport him and his brother Wali back to Afghanistan, claiming it is now safe for them to return. Oxfam, Save the Children and Amnesty International dispute this.

Azim was going to be deported last Sunday. The ‘Keep Azim in Oxford’ campaign is urgently calling for anti-racists to sign the online petition and send letters to the Home Office calling for Azim to be allowed to stay. Model letters are available from www.keepaziminoxford.org.uk

Courage Idiagbonya a Biochemistry student in the Medical School at Newcastle University is facing imminent deportation to Nigeria. He is currently being held at Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre after last month, being arrested and detained under the asylum and immigration act as he was travelling to an exam.

Students at Newcastle are calling for the Home Office to review Courage's case favourably and allow him to be free to continue his studies here in Britain. He has fresh evidence to support his asylum claim but cannot access it as he is in detention.

Below is a petition please email it around widely. Add your support and return it to SAAR, c/o NAAR, 28 Commercial St, London E1 6LS.
Let Courage Idiagbonya stay petition