Twickenham MP Backs Escaped Slave's Freedom Bid

1.29.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 21st May 2007

A local - Whitton - resident, Baba Bari, is an "illegal immigrant" who has escaped from slavery in his native Niger (where slave ownership is not uncommon and was only made illegal a few years ago). He eventually reached Britain where he was arrested for working without permission. He has been put on a plane back to his native country but on each occasion he was sent back (once from Niger; once, in transit, from Algeria). He is now in limbo and destitute.

Vincent Cable MP has taken up the case and has appealed to the Home Secretary to review it and, meantime, to allow Baba to work to support himself and pay taxes: "It is extraordinary that when the British Government is commemorating the 200 year anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade - with John Prescott swanning off to Barbados for a celebratory party - that it should be deporting someone back to slavery in one of these countries where this appalling practice still goes on. The Government is even arguing that fear of return to slavery does not constitute persecution in terms of asylum law.

"The most touching part of this story is that Baba, who was forced to work as a child and frequently beaten by his owner, now wants to work to support himself. He does not want to depend on handouts but to contribute to the society where he has taken refuge. I come across many asylum cases which vary from the highly sympathetic to the seriously fraudulent; but this is a genuine case with a mass supporting testimony to substantiate his case."