Yesterday we were all hopeful for Siva as we were told that he would be
attending a bail hearing today, and that he was being moved to Colnbrook from
Dover for this reason.
However, we sadly found out this morning that Siva had been lied to and was
moved, during the night in bad weather, to Colnbrook so that he could be taken
to the Sri Lankan High Commission in London for travel documents, the next step
towards his removal.
Siva has been misinformed and kept in the dark about what is happening to him,
and we are very worried about his treatment.
Siva’s case has hit another problem: his solicitor has gone on holiday for
Christmas. He cannot see a new solicitor whilst in Colnbrook, which is a short
term detention facility, but we very much hope he will be taken back to Dover,
and then he can attend a meeting with a solicitor there tomorrow. The greatest
threat to Siva right now is that he is left without any legal representation over
Christmas, a time when traditionally many detainees are swiftly deported as
many legal staff are on holiday.
We are calling on Stephen Williams to ensure that Siva is not deported during
this time when he is unrepresented. The most important thing at the moment is
that Siva is properly represented by a solicitor, so that he has the best possible
chance of fighting this deportation.
We want to thank everyone who has been out protesting in the snow, as well as
Friends of Dover Detainees, and Friends of Colnbrook Detainees groups for their
support to Siva. Please continue to think of Siva over the Christmas period, and
let your friends know about the continuing breach of Siva’s human rights.
(KC)
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