Asylum plea to Home Secretary (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Asylum plea to Home Secretary

12:06pm Friday 23rd March 2007 in

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PENDLE Council is to ask Home Secretary John Reid to personally intervene in the case of a family who have been refused asylum.

Last night the authority's executive unanimously voted for chief executive Stephen Barnes to write to Mr Reid demanding he let the Karim family stay in Nelson on compassionate grounds.

Nigel, 52, Pearl, 44, and children Crystal, 14, and Calvin, 12, fear they would be killed if they returned to their home country of Pakistan because of their Christianity.

The family, of Barkerhouse Road, lost their application for a judicial review in the High Court into the Home Office decision to reject their asylum bid. Now campaigners hope Mr Reid will perform a dramatic 11th hour U-turn and let the Karims stay.

Last night supporters held a rally outside Nelson Town Hall before the meeting.

Campaigners included fellow pupils from Crystal's and Calvin's school, Fisher Moore High, Colne, who displayed banners.

Speaking after the meeting, Pearl said: "The support has been fantastic. I hope it is going to take us somewhere and they listen to us.

"I am not going to give up the fight for the sake of my children, and their safety and security"