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Lawrencia must stay - stop deportation of Nigerian bisexual two days before Christmas!
Lawrencia is a bisexual woman from Nigeria, a country with some of the most draconian anti-gay laws in Africa. She has lived in the UK for 14 years. She arrived here, like many women fleeing persecution, as a victim of trafficking. She has been in a long-term relationship for several years, but was taken from her north London home last month and detained in Yarl's Wood for the second time.
Now the Home Office wants to deport her two days before Christmas. She has no connections or support in Nigeria; her life is London - deportation is a life sentence of destitution and persecution.
Her deportation to Nigeria is scheduled for 11.35pm on Friday 23 December on Virgin flight VS651
What you can do...
1. Tell Virgin not to collude in this racist deportation:
Virgin Airways has the right and duty to protect the safety of its passengers and staff. Lawrencia is being forcibly deported - she will resist because she is fighting for her life and the experience of being forcibly removed is terrifying. The escorts are well known for their brutality, causing the death of Jimmy Mubenga and the brutalisation of many more. To ensure the health and safety of their passengers and staff Virgin Airways can and must refuse to fly Lawrencia - they may say this is not their decision, but it is. There is also the question of whether they want to be complicit in the deportation of LGBT people to countries where they face persecution and abuse. You can ask to speak to someone senior or a press officer if you are not getting much luck with the first person you speak to. Often your will not get any satisfactory response, but withhundreds of people calling in - it gets noticed and we have got tickets cancelled this way previously, especially a company like Virgin who are so concerned about their public image.
Virgin Headquarters: 0344 8110 000
Virgin Atlantic Reservations (UK - Open 24 hrs) 0344 209 7777
@VirginAtlantic - Twitter
2. Contact the Nigerian High Commission and demand that they stop their collusion with the Government's racist policies and refuse to provide travel documents for Lawrencia. She has lived in the UK for 13 years, her whole life is here
3. Demand the Home Office stop its harassment of Lawrencia and cancel her deportation. (Home Office ref:
E1090469/005)
In any correspondence give the full name, Lawrencia Emenyonu and quote her Home Office reference
E1090469/005
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