Britain deports Darfur victims

March 29, 2007 at 12:03 pm (Anti-Racism, Civil liberties, Jim D)

For the past two years The Home Office – working closely with the Sudanese authorities –  has been deporting Darfuri asylum seekers back to Khartoum. According to the Aegis Trust, a “concerted round-up now appears to be underway”. This is despite warnings from the UN and human rights organisations about the risk of death and/or torture facing the refugees on their return. So much for Blair’s speech denouncing the behaviour of the Khartoum government, and calling for action.

Today the Guardian publishes details (to be shown tonight on Channel 4 News, beginning at 7pm) of the torture of Sadiq Adem Osman, deported to Khartoum in February after his application for asylum in the UK was turned down.

“They just beat me everywhere. My whole body was numb so I couldn’t feel anything anymore. I was completely soaked in blood, and the room was covered with my faeces and urine. I was expecting to die. I never thought I would be alive now”, he told Channel 4.

Mr Osman fled Darfur in 2004 after his village was attacked by the Janjaweed and his mother and brother were killed.

The hypocrisy of the Home Office and the British government is simply a disgrace. Write to your MP; join up with the organisations opposing deportations (here and here): this scandal must be stopped.

(Hat tip for the Aegis Trust link: Adam Le Bor at Harry’s Place)