Through criminal acts, the UK Home Office has violated my civil rights.
As a law-abiding 57-year-old African American Muslim father of three daughters, I entered the UK lawfully on April 20, 2016, with the intention of seeking asylum.
On April 20, 2016, I entered the UK legally with the intention of applying for asylum. The UK Border Agency (UKBA) confiscated all of my documents when I arrived at Heathrow Airport at approximately 1:30 p.m., and I later met with Home Office (HO) caseworker Mr. Vijay Shah and UKBA Steve Gill. These documents provide strong evidence in favor of my asylum request.
In my lengthy interview with Mr. Shah, the HO caseworker, I described the challenges and risks my family and I encountered in New Hampshire as a result of persecution. I conveyed my worries about the security and welfare of our whole family, the infringements upon our property, civil, and religious rights, and the way my family and I were treated like second-class citizens. I demonstrated that I had applied for asylum in Denmark and Switzerland and that my fears for my life, safety, and well-being were genuine and well-founded.
I have talked in length about the challenges my family and I have faced over the last eight years, the threats to my freedom within my own country, and the reasons I fear for my life, safety, and well-being. I also showed during the interview that I would not be able to move to a safer area of my country and that I would face threats to my life and safety from both the government and individuals. At the end of the interview, the UKBA’s Steve Gill asked me if I planned to bring my family to the UK, and I answered yes.
I have further stated that since 2012, the USDOJ has been misleading us with false promises and a refusal to investigate the alleged crimes against our family. I fear for my safety and freedom, for defending my civil, property, and religious rights, and for requesting a legal permit in my country. As an African American Muslim entrepreneur, I fear the proposed abattoir to serve the Muslim community by providing Halal (Islamic food) was misconstrued. I fear I would face indefinite prison without due process, thus trumping up allegations by a powerful politician about defending our rights legally.
I have provided documented facts; the reasons for my asylum were on the grounds of a violation of the law of universal human rights. I have stated that fear is the main reason I am applying for asylum, and my fears are legitimate and well-founded. Death threats have been made against me, and my captors in my native country want to take away both my freedom and my life. The meeting with Mr. Shah lasted nearly two hours, and at the end, Mr. Shah (the caseworker) said, “I will grant you asylum.” I was then taken for fingerprints and then to the holding room.
The UKBA officer who took my fingerprints approached me in the holding room at around 6:30 p.m. The officer told me that I would be called for an interview. In addition, at around 11 p.m. that same night, another UKBA officer approached me loudly in the airport waiting area wearing a face mask and insisted that I sign a document. I signed the paperwork without reading it out of fear for my safety, and the UKBA provided me with an ID card. The officer informed me that it was too late for an interview and that I would be picked up the following day and taken to a nearby hotel. I remained inside the holding room until 3 a.m., and subsequently:
- Without due process, I was taken to a maximum-security prison and held there for 62 days.
- My ID card was seized by the prison supervisor two weeks after I was imprisoned
- The UKBA in prison issued me a new UK ID card on May 26, 2016, with no expiration date.
From the start, the HO officials and UKBA have treated me unethically, with very unsettling experiences and a total disregard for my legal rights! A horrifying sequence of incidents transpired: I was wrongfully detained without legal proceedings for sixty-two days, refused due process, and faced persecution for requesting asylum.
On June 1, 2016, I was informed that I would be leaving the prison and being escorted to the airport after serving a 43-day sentence. I experienced a nervous breakdown and a panic attack as I got closer to the airport. Once again, I was being held in the holding room at Heathrow. After that, I met with a UKBA officer in Terminal 5, who I had never met before; he did not identify himself but wanted to talk about an alleged initial contact and the asylum registration form (screening). The screening questions were essentially an extension of the interview that I conducted with Mr. Vijay Shah, a caseworker, on April 20, 2016.
The man introduced himself as a screening officer, showed me a photo of the front of the building where I had previously operated business in the US, and said I owned a small business. The screening meeting lasted almost an hour, and during that time, almost all of the questions asked were the same ones I had been asked during my previous interview.
Following the screening, I was asked to sign a document by the UKBA. But he took it away from me as soon as I signed it, telling me clearly not to write the date. The officer signed the document after the purported screening was completed. After the screening, I made a request for release from prison as an asylum claimant, citing the UNHCR Refugee Act. Once again, I was kept in a holding cell until two in the morning, at which point I was sent back to prison, where I stayed until June 20, 2016.
I received a copy of the screening document in a sealed envelope from a prison supervisor following a week of screening. After looking over the screening document, I saw that there are three signatures on it: mine, the alleged countersigning officer’s signature, and the document with the alleged initial contacts. In the document, there is no handwritten date by me or anyone else, and the only date that is available is a printed date at the top of the initial contact. The third office’s signature appears in the document; I have no idea who he or she’s signed. It is crucial to determine the identity and function of the third office signatory in order to determine their involvement in the alleged fraudulent initial contacts.
The screening document titled “Initial Contact and Asylum Registration Form,” dated April 20, 2016, submitted by UKBA Officer Steven Gill, is completely false and inaccurate.
The absence of a handwritten date raises questions about the authenticity and accuracy of the document. The check mark was illegally inserted without my knowledge or consent; it was not in my handwriting. Moreover, after the interview, upon my arrival on April 20, 2016, with caseworker Mr. Shah, I do not recall signing any document, nor have I received a copy of the meeting until now. After that, I was led to the holding area at the airport and subsequently imprisoned for 62 days without due process of law.
However, when the prison supervisor gave me a copy of the supposed first communication, which was on June 1, 2016, it did not seem to match the initial meeting (interview) I had when I arrived at the airport on April 20, 2016. It seems that the UKBA and HO engaged in dishonest behavior; they allegedly planned schemes and perpetrated fraud with malicious intent to divert the asylum application and with fabricated lies. Despite the fact that I informed others about my findings, I ultimately chose not to report them due to my status as a prisoner. It might have been harder for me if I had reported corruption. My safety was a concern because I was in the midst of powerful people. I said nothing and refrained from alerting the authorities to their unlawful behavior.
Since I had no criminal history prior to moving to the UK, I kept getting in touch with the HO while I was incarcerated to request that they explain my sentence. How much time will I spend in prison? In addition, I repeatedly met with immigration officers in prison and asked them why I was being held, but to no avail. As part of my asylum claim in the UK with Medical Justice, I requested an assessment of my mental state during my incarceration by calling Healthcare for Rule 35 as a victim of mental torture.
My condition has deteriorated; during my incarceration, I struggled with a difficult psychological disorder. I have had a variety of psychological injuries and challenges as a result, such as trouble falling asleep, trouble waking up, occasional screaming or nightmares, lack of focus, irritability, a recurring sense of fear, anxiety, depression, and sadness, and the inability to enjoy any part of life. My family and I have experienced vulnerabilities arising from experiences of mistreatment, bullying, psychological torture, and harassment by the state authorities and their associates in New Hampshire.
I have submitted numerous times to the UKBA as to why I am imprisoned and have received a generic letter that was not relevant to my request. I was unaware of the cause of my incarceration. How long will I stay in prison without due process? My asylum case did not seem to have received enough attention, even after I made numerous attempts to contact the UKBA about my detention. Due to the abuse of power, I have developed stress and anxiety attacks, and I have also developed a phobia of the so-called judicial system. My confidence in the legal system was shaken once more.
After 58 days in prison, on June 16, 2016, I filed a lawsuit against the HO, arguing that I was imprisoned without following the law. While I was incarcerated, I requested a hearing from the High Court regarding my appeal.
On June 20, 2016, however, I was released without explanation by the HO after serving 62 days in prison. It seems that the HO was attempting to hide its purported illegal activities, conspiracy, and abuse of power.
I am worried about my safety and freedom because I have battled for my country's legal authorization as well as my civil, property, and religious rights. The public officials have broken their oath of office in violation of ICCPR Part III, Article 26, which states that “all persons are equal before the law and are entitled to the equal protection of the law without any discrimination.”
I have demonstrated that I have good reason to fear persecution from both non-state actors and New Hampshire's state authorities. I have stated that fear is the main reason I am applying for asylum, and my fears are legitimate and well-founded.
In accordance with the 1951 United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol, I have proven that I have legitimate concerns about being persecuted in my home country and, consequently, about prejudice and political plotting. If I am forcibly removed from the United Kingdom, I fear that both my life and my freedom will be taken from me. My life has been threatened, and those who would harm me would take away my freedom.
Despite my asylum claim, I was imprisoned for two months after arriving in the UK, which was unjust, illegal, and excessive. To detain a genuine asylum applicant excessively who wishes to seek protection without due process violates ART 5 and 6 of the Convention; it is unethical, unfair, and illegal.
After six years of being persecuted at the hands of the UK HO lawless officials, I hired Leigh Day Solicitor Office on March 24, 2022, to represent me in a lawsuit against the Home Office. Subsequently, I was notified in writing by the HO on May 24, 2022, that the asylum support would terminate on June 16, 2022. The letter also contained a deportation threat. I was harassed nonstop for two months after hiring a solicitor. The harassment started twenty days after I hired a solicitor.
Due to my sincere fear for my safety and independence from the HO officials’ menacing actions, I vacated the accommodation on May 30, 2022, two weeks before the asylum support was scheduled to end. I became homeless and lived on the street without benefits.
I have instructed my lawyer to exert every effort on my behalf to make sure that my case is handled correctly and that my interests are adequately represented. The HO’s protracted actions prevented the solicitor from advancing the case, spanning seven months of delays. I was homeless, mentally ill, and on hunger strike during that time, which made matters worse.
I went on a hunger strike for almost three months in protest of the abuses of power; during that time, my health declined. I was unable to get medical attention due to my justifiable fears that the HO would put me in jail, and I called off the hunger strike. The psychological damage, prolonged homelessness, hopeless resting in the dark, and sinking into a deep depression have made my already difficult circumstances even more difficult.
After the HO failed multiple times, releasing the documents to the solicitor requests, I contacted the Office of MP Nicolas Richard for help. I sought urgent help navigating the convoluted legal system after outlining my predicament to the office of MP Nicolas Richard. Unfortunately, my solicitor’s persistent demands went unanswered, leading to torturous and drawn-out delays and without progress to the present time.
Since April 20, 2016, I have been addressing a situation involving the abuse of power and a betrayal of public trust. The Home Office's apparent disregard for the law is more proof of their above-the-law actions. Had I not filed a case with the High Court challenging my imprisonment on June 16, 2016, it’s highly likely that I would be in prison today or perhaps dead.
The HO has repeatedly abused their position of authority, acting as a jury, prosecutor, and judge in my case. Under these circumstances, there is absolutely no possibility that justice will be served outside of a courtroom! During the span of seven years and eight months, I have been persecuted and deprived of due process.
Under the HO's rules, I am not allowed to exist, live, or survive. Sadly, my rights, a fundamental human right, have no relevance, and I am sentenced to death. Since the end of May 2022, I have been living in constant fear and hiding from the lawless Home Office officials.
They held me captive for seven years and eight months without providing me with due process, which is blatant evidence of the HO's double standards. Denying due process overrides the rules governing fundamental fairness designed to protect the rights of human beings. The acts of fabricating and rejecting the overwhelming weight of available data and facts weaken the rule of law and foster skepticism and uncertainty about it.
The HO's actions undermined public trust in the system and seriously cast doubt on the fairness and integrity of the entire process. My rights have been reduced to those of livestock animals, and I have been treated like a criminal for a very long time, so it seems unlikely that I will ever receive justice in the UK.
My frustration stems from the fact that my asylum application has not been processed in an efficient manner and that I am unsure of how this will turn out. My freedoms, liberty, and fundamental human rights are being denied as a result of multiple alleged conspiracies. As time passes, the uncertainty surrounding my future only intensifies, leaving me vulnerable, depressed, desperate, and anxious about what lies ahead.
The unlawful actions of the Home Office undermine public confidence, transgress human rights laws, and sustain unfair cycles of behavior. In addition to harming the impacted individuals, these civil rights violations damage the UK’s reputation as a global human rights champion.
I believe that the United Kingdom is a nation that is unwaveringly committed to upholding the legal frameworks that protect each and every one of a person's fundamental human rights. The importance of the law is paramount, as is the necessity of holding those accountable for any misconduct or possible criminal activity.
I have some difficult decisions to make. I regret to conclude in passages that I have concluded that continuous abuse of power, betrayals of public trust, and never-ending suffering may put my life in danger.
The UK Government must look into the claimed legal infractions, demand accountability, and demand transparency in order to put an end to this pattern of betrayals of public confidence and advance equal justice under the law.
Liberty without justice is slavery—Negash Abdelkader!