100 signatures reached
To: The Rt. Hon Amber Rudd | Secretary of State for the Home Department
STOP John Karekezi's Deportation: and SAVE A Family Breakup
Let's STOP the deportation of this generous, family man, a father of 3 young daughters (the youngest being only 11 years old) and a kidney donor.
John has fully paid his debt for which he was put in prison and has served his full sentence of 12 months. He does not owe anyone and he is not a threat to the community. On the contrary, he is a generous person who donated a kidney to someone who is not a family member nor a close friend. This was a purely selfless and truly altruistic act done out of the goodness of his heart.
John didn't not only put his life at risk at the time of kidney donation, the procedure also calls for regular check ups to ensure that he is not suffering any post-kidney-donation medical complications. Our concern is that if deported back to Africa, he will not be able to access these regular checkups and this will put his life at risk.
John is not only a loving husband and father, he is loved by the community. When John was imprisoned for using money that was given to him by a family friend, the community and his church family got together, raised funds and paid off his debt. Even when in prison, his priority was to pay back this debt and was very appreciative of this kind act from the community. He accepted the wrong he had done and has served his full sentence of 12 months.
In the church community, John was known as an elder who visits the sick at home and hospitals. In fact he met his kidney recipient during these hospital visits. He was also involved in counselling and advising young people both in his local church and the local community; whilst also listening and helping couples with relationship challenges. These and others have been equally important contributions to the communities.
John has fully paid his debt for which he was put in prison and has served his full sentence of 12 months. He does not owe anyone and he is not a threat to the community. On the contrary, he is a generous person who donated a kidney to someone who is not a family member nor a close friend. This was a purely selfless and truly altruistic act done out of the goodness of his heart.
John didn't not only put his life at risk at the time of kidney donation, the procedure also calls for regular check ups to ensure that he is not suffering any post-kidney-donation medical complications. Our concern is that if deported back to Africa, he will not be able to access these regular checkups and this will put his life at risk.
John is not only a loving husband and father, he is loved by the community. When John was imprisoned for using money that was given to him by a family friend, the community and his church family got together, raised funds and paid off his debt. Even when in prison, his priority was to pay back this debt and was very appreciative of this kind act from the community. He accepted the wrong he had done and has served his full sentence of 12 months.
In the church community, John was known as an elder who visits the sick at home and hospitals. In fact he met his kidney recipient during these hospital visits. He was also involved in counselling and advising young people both in his local church and the local community; whilst also listening and helping couples with relationship challenges. These and others have been equally important contributions to the communities.
Why is this important?
How did we get this far?
Under the new UK immigration law (s32 UK Borders Act 2007) a foreign national is subject to "automatic deportation" if he or she has been convicted of an offence in UK, and sentenced to a period of imprisonment of 12 months or more. The deportation is automatically served which is beneficial to public good. John was sentenced to 12 months hence the trigger for his deportation order we are petitioning. But John is not a threat to the community at all; in fact he is a key contributor to the community - he is a real generous and humanitarian humble gentleman and all communities where he has lived can testify to this.
John has been a lawful resident in the UK since he migrated here 15 years ago, and has strong family and social ties in the UK. As a lawful UK resident for 15 years, he had qualified for naturalisation as a British citizen with his existing Indefinite Leave to Remain visa. His presence in the UK is therefore essential for those purposes. Also, his wife and children would lose the principal bread-winner and a loving father and husband. His deportation will cause a profound negative impact on the family - especially his 11-year old daughter. Without a doubt it is in the child’s best interest to have both parents with her at this critical stage of her development.
Given the combination of all the above factors; we as a community submit that John's exclusion from his family and the UK would result in a disproportionate interference of his private and family life; contrary to Article 8 of the ECHR. Furthermore, given John's medical condition we would also submit that any attempt to remove him would result in irreparable harm to his health and that of his families social and welfare. This would result in a family breakup and long term effects to his 11 year daughter.
It is for this reason that as a community, we strongly petition and submit that the exceptions in paragraph 399 of the immigration rules be applied in respect to our community member who has a genuine and substantial parental responsibility and vital relationship to his 11 year old daughter - PLEASE HAVE MERCY TO JOHN KAREKEZI AND SAVE THIS FAMILY FROM BREAKING UP.
Under the new UK immigration law (s32 UK Borders Act 2007) a foreign national is subject to "automatic deportation" if he or she has been convicted of an offence in UK, and sentenced to a period of imprisonment of 12 months or more. The deportation is automatically served which is beneficial to public good. John was sentenced to 12 months hence the trigger for his deportation order we are petitioning. But John is not a threat to the community at all; in fact he is a key contributor to the community - he is a real generous and humanitarian humble gentleman and all communities where he has lived can testify to this.
John has been a lawful resident in the UK since he migrated here 15 years ago, and has strong family and social ties in the UK. As a lawful UK resident for 15 years, he had qualified for naturalisation as a British citizen with his existing Indefinite Leave to Remain visa. His presence in the UK is therefore essential for those purposes. Also, his wife and children would lose the principal bread-winner and a loving father and husband. His deportation will cause a profound negative impact on the family - especially his 11-year old daughter. Without a doubt it is in the child’s best interest to have both parents with her at this critical stage of her development.
Given the combination of all the above factors; we as a community submit that John's exclusion from his family and the UK would result in a disproportionate interference of his private and family life; contrary to Article 8 of the ECHR. Furthermore, given John's medical condition we would also submit that any attempt to remove him would result in irreparable harm to his health and that of his families social and welfare. This would result in a family breakup and long term effects to his 11 year daughter.
It is for this reason that as a community, we strongly petition and submit that the exceptions in paragraph 399 of the immigration rules be applied in respect to our community member who has a genuine and substantial parental responsibility and vital relationship to his 11 year old daughter - PLEASE HAVE MERCY TO JOHN KAREKEZI AND SAVE THIS FAMILY FROM BREAKING UP.
How it will be delivered
We shall email these signatures and also deliver them in person via John's Local MP.
