My name is Asma Khan. I am giving my story to ask you to support me in asking the Home Office to allow my mother and I to remain in the UK together as a family.  

I claimed asylum as a child at 15 years old with my mother. My mother has suffered severe domestic abuse and I was the victim of a potential kidnapping. As women we suffered a lot at the hands of those who should be protecting for us. I have been living in the UK for the last 14 years, but instead of finding safety, we faced separation and detention. Our journey has been challenging, especially since our first solicitors provided us with misguided advice, which resulted in delays and errors in our cases. As a consequence, we found ourselves in a state of uncertainty within the asylum system. To make things worse my mother and I suffer from poor mental health and PTSD and depression.  

During my time in the UK I pursued my education, completing my GCSEs and obtaining a Level 3 qualification in Science in 2016. I applied to several universities and received acceptance letters, which filled me with excitement about pursuing my academic dreams. However, our situation took a drastic turn when we received an eviction notice. With our solicitor absent on holiday, we were left without essential guidance. We had no support on what to do next. As a result, we found ourselves moving from one place to another, desperately searching for a stable place to feel safe.  

With the assistance of the Red Cross and Refugee Action, we engaged new legal aid solicitors but unfortunately, they did not understand the complexity of our case, cultural issues we faced as women without male support or even considered our mental health. This negligence led to my unjust detention for three months in Yarl's Wood. On 11th July 2017, the Home Office scheduled an appointment for my mother and myself at Liverpool so we could submit further evidence. However, on 22nd June 2017, when I accompanied my mother to the Reporting Centre in Solihull, two officers asked me to give a brief interview.  
 
As soon as I entered the room one of the officers locked the door and told me, “You can no longer see your mother; you are being detained.” I expressed my concerns about our appointment and our health, but they dismissed me, saying, “You must come with us.” I was instructed to wait in a room with another male detainee. I felt very anxious and stressed, I cried, “Please, I want to call my mother.” I managed to reach her, but the situation was incredibly stressful for us both. I had been detained unexpectedly, separating us without notice. I felt devastated; I never expected this. I am not a criminal. When they took me, I had no idea where I was going. They placed me in a van, like I was dangerous, locking me behind glass. It was a horrible situation for me and my mum, we had never been separated before and it reminded her of when I was nearly taken in our home country. I spent three difficult months in the Yarl’s Wood detention center in Bedford. This experience was profoundly challenging for both my mother and me, leaving us feeling trapped, hopeless and mentally tortured. My PTSD became worse as did my mother’s. 
 
I will always remember that fateful night when the officer in the coach told me I had one last chance to say goodbye to my mum. They aimed to deport me via charter flight back to where my abuser could easily find me. Allowing only one phone call, I reached out to my mum, but instead, someone from the hostel answered. She delivered the shattering news that the police and emergency services were with my mum. I was paralysed with uncertainty. Before I could process it, the phone was snatched away from me, and I was forced onto a plane. Shortly after, I was taken to London Stansted Airport. The airplane doors were about to close and the orders to fasten seat belts were issued. The plane was ready to take off in just a few minutes when suddenly one of the officers approached and said, “We have orders from the Home Office. She is being released now, so bring her back to the coach so that we can send her back to Yarl’s Wood.” I was held in detention for another month before I was eventually released. In total, I spent three months detained, during that time my mother’s mental health significantly deteriorated. Upon hearing that my mother had been hospitalised, I felt mentally disturbed and tortured by the incident. I stopped eating food for 27 days. I continue to struggle with the memories of that experience; I often have nightmares and flashbacks that are triggering.  

We reached out to the Red Cross again, and they referred us to the Hope Projects Ltd, who assisted us in securing accommodation and legal advice. Hope submitted a country report and psychiatric report on behalf of both my mother and me. While my mother was granted the right to appeal, which is still pending, my application was denied with no right of appeal, which makes no sense whatsoever. This decision led to my detention once more when I attended a mandatory reporting session on 27th August 2024. Unfortunately, history repeated itself; the officer informed me that I was being detained and that I would no longer have the chance to see my mother. However, I was later released on the same day due to my mother's health condition. She suffered a panic attack and collapsed upon hearing the news of my detention. The Immigration Officer warned me that I could face similar consequences in the future. This memory came rushing back to 2017 when I was compelled to be deported on a charter flight. After returning and taking my seat on the bus, an officer looked at me and warned, “You might feel free today, but don’t forget, this thing happens again.”  

My overall experience in the UK underscores what many of us who have fled severe violence in our home countries. Unfortunately, our asylum claims are often unjustly rejected without proper explanation. Usually, we receive sudden notices stating that our applications have been unsuccessful, leaving us destitute and facing inequality and injustice. This vulnerability makes us more vulnerable to further violence, harassment, and humiliation, which we have already endured. Without safe accommodations, we are forced to suffer detention and inhumane living conditions, while support is minimal and withdrawn once we become destitute.  

We sought protection, but I ended up in detention, which separated me from my mother during the asylum process. This experience has made us feel dehumanised and depressed, leaving us to question the value of our lives. The Home Office has mishandled my case in not granting me a right of appeal, resulting in humiliating treatment from others. We are made to feel less than human as if we are insignificant. Their cruel behaviour has deeply disappointed me. We sought protection, yet we ended up separated from one another. The Home Office seems to have overlooked the impact of this separation, failing to recognize how challenging it is for someone like me, who has a family who wish to harm them back home, to cope alone.   
My mother struggled throughout her life. As a single mother, she has always been there for me. However, the Home Office doesn’t recognize the unconditional love that exists between a mother and daughter and claims that our unit is not sufficient to be considered that of a family. Just because I am an adult does it mean that we no longer depend on each other or need each other. 

Please sign this petition to help us stay here in the UK together and continue our lives as a family.