Free Saleh, our friend who is detained and at risk of life-threatening deportation!

Our friend Saleh Abubakar has been detained by Immigration Enforcement. He is currently being held in Yarl’s Wood detention centre and is at risk of deportation to Nigeria where he faces threats to his life from extremist groups and the government. We are calling for his immediate release.

Saleh arrived in the UK in 2020 after a harrowing journey from Nigeria. He fled threats of extreme violence from the extremist militia Boko Haram when he was a child and travelled across the world to find safety in the UK. He crossed through Libya, where he faced abuse and enslavement at the hands of criminal gangs who profit from the exploitation of people forced to travel without authorisation to seek safety in Europe. Saleh managed to escape and reach Europe, only to experience further abuse and homelessness. Finally, Saleh arrived in the UK where he claimed asylum.

Saleh told us that, when he arrived in the UK, he was simply smiling. He thought he had found safety. He had heard the UK’s rhetoric about respecting human rights and providing safety to those who need it, and he believed it.

Saleh's dreams were quickly dashed. Unable to access proper legal representation, Saleh was eventually forced to navigate the hostile-by-design asylum and courts systems on his own—and in his third language. His claim was eventually dismissed by the court on the grounds that they did not believe some minor details in his story. With no lawyer to help him appeal the decision, Saleh was left homeless and alone in a new country, having recently experienced horrors that many of us could not even imagine. His mental health suffered greatly.

Through these hardships, Saleh found solace in our Manchester community, where he has lived for the last 6 years. Saleh regularly volunteered as a member of Growing Together Levenshulme. According to other members: “Saleh was instantly well-liked and provided so much kindness, consideration, and support to others who needed it, even as he was suffering himself”. 

Now, Saleh has been ripped from his community by Immigration Enforcement and is being detained miles away from his home. His mental health is further deteriorating and we are all deeply worried about his well-being. If Saleh is removed to Nigeria, where he has no family left, his life will be at risk from violence by extremist groups and the government. 

The community of Manchester, of which Saleh is a part, refuse to allow our friend and neighbour to be taken from us and sent into danger.