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Hortance Mbebo is facing deportation, despite being married to UK citizen and Hackney Council worker Peter Louw. Hackney UNISON is campaigning to stop this unjust deportation. The union branch says: "This makes a mockery of the Home Office's motto to build a safe, just and tolerant society".
Hortance came to the UK two and a half years ago from Cameroon. She met Peter, who works for Hackney Council, and they got married in 2003. After Hortance's asylum claim was refused, she was advised that she did not need to appeal the decision, because her marriage would ensure she would be allowed to live here with Peter.
She continued to report to the Immigration Centre, but on one occasion when she did so, she was taken into detention and told that she would be deported two days later.
Hackney UNISON immediately began campaigning on behalf of their member and his wife. The branch held a protest at the Home Office, gave out leaflets in Hackney, secured media coverage of the case, and vigorously lobbied against the deportation. As a result, the deportation has been delayed and Hortance released from detention. Effective trade union campaigning gets results.
But Hortance is still under threat of deportation, so our campaign must go on.
We are asking trade unionists to:
- sign and circulate our petition
- distribute our leaflet
- fax Des Browne, Minister of Immigration, 020-7273-2043, asking him to grant Hortance leave to live in this country with her husband
- come to future protests - sign up to our e-mail list so we can contact you with details
- send a message of support to Hackney UNISON [1]
For more information, contact:
Hackney UNISON (local government branch)
2 Hillman Street
London E8 1DY
tel 020-8356-4071
fax 020-8985-6749