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Home | Friday 13th November 2009 | Issue 699

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UNFASTEN YER SEATBELTS

A victory for anti-deportation campaigners on Thursday (12th) as passenger action forced the cancellation of a forced removal. Rose-Jane Wanjohi and her UK-born daughter Natale were due to be deported to Kenya. They were put on a plane at Heathrow but, thanks to the efforts of supporters, are now back to the relative safety of Yarls Wood detention centre.

Rose-Jane and Natale were taken from detention and ‘escorted’ on to a British Airways flight by four security guards. Supporters leafleted passengers about to board. The leaflets explained that a fellow-passenger and baby were being taken against their will into extreme danger (Rose’s late husband had forcibly enrolled them in the Mungiki cult, which believes in female genital mutilation). As Rose-Jane sat on the plane, several passengers refused to fasten their seat belts. The pilot refused to take off until it was resolved, and so Rose-Jane and Natale were taken from the plane.

Speaking from the van taking her back to the detention centre, Rose-Jane told NCADC:
“I don’t know what to say. I am so happy. I would like to thank my friends, and thank the people on the plane, for saving my life and my daughter. Thank you so much. God bless you.”

Rose-Jane and Natale are not out of danger yet. For details on how you can help, see:
http://bit.ly/rosejane and www.ncadc.org.uk



 

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