Threatened family praise local people

A family from Poland who had never heard of Middlesbrough before they were sent to the town under the Government’s controversial dispersal programme for asylum seekers and refugees have paid tribute to the town’s “very friendly people.”

Bozena Grabowski, her daughter Krystyna and son Gregorz were put on a National Express coach from London in January 2002 after they were told they couldn’t stay in London.  

Their natural fears at being dispersed to a place they had no knowledge of have proved unfounded. Bozena is full of praise for Leena Homes Limited, who have provided their accommodation, and local people saying “many people have helped us” and “we can’t thank people from Middlesbrough enough”.

Bozena has now been joined by her husband, Ryszard and they have a beautiful young baby, Diana, who was born in the town in May last year.

The Grabowski’s are from Poland but claim that due to their Romany background they suffered terribly from discrimination, abuse and physical intimidation. Typical of their experiences was when Bozena was sent by the job centre to an office where there were known to be a number of vacancies. She claims to have been told ‘that all the jobs had gone’ and on her return to the job centre she was told ‘there was nothing they could do about it.’

When she lived in Poland Krystyna, was also forced to report an attack on her “by boys from my school” in which her hair was pulled, her hand brutally pulled behind her back and she was hit with a belt. Ryszard said that his daughter “was shocked and scared, she couldn’t move her fingers.” Despite a police investigation and details being sent to the court no prosecutions against those who attacked her took place.

This failure to tackle the perpetrators may have contributed to a further attempt by one of the boys involved to attack Krystyna, an event which made the family determined to leave Poland. “There was no choice” said Ryszard as “it was necessary for my family’s safety”.

They came to Britain in November 1999 because “we believe it is a safe country”, but they were removed in May 2000 before Bozena and the two children returned in December 2001 and Ryszard, in May 2002. They are now amongst a group of just over 5,000 refugees and asylum seekers who have been sent to the north-east of England under the Government’s dispersal programme. Around 1/3^rd are living in the Tees Valley area.

The family have quickly adapted to their new surroundings and Krystyna attends a local school where she has soon learned to read and write in English. The family is now, however, threatened with being deported to Poland as they have exhausted the legal processes.  

The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act of November 7^th 2002 created what it termed a ‘Safe Country list.’ Asylum applications from these countries have no right to appeal in the UK if their claims are refused and certified as ‘clearly unfounded’. The initial list of ten countries including Poland has swollen to 24 as the Government continues to tighten restrictions on people coming to Britain. It is as yet not known what restrictions, if any, will be placed on people coming from places such as Poland to live and work in Britain when the EEC is expanded to allow countries from Eastern Europe to join on May 1^st 2004.

The Grabowski’s solicitor is now making an appeal on ‘compassionate grounds’ to allow them to stay. To support this the family and friends have decided to start up a campaign; “we want to stay and live normal lives like other people” said Ryszard.

As devout Catholics they are hoping to draw support from members of their local church, the Sacred Heart. At the recent conference of Catholic Bishops of England and Wales Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue, who chaired the conference said “there is no greater symbol of the challenge that confronts the international community in its efforts to promote justice and peace than the plight of the world’s refugees. Refugees are the product of failure – the failure of states and societies to promote peace, reconciliation, development and human rights”.

Local trade unionists are also to be approached for support and the north-east Office of the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, based in Stockton in Tees is backing family. The organiser, Kath Sainsbury told me that “a number of people have already written letters to Beverley Hughes at the Home Office” and “we intend launching a petition, which we are hopeful people from Middlesbrough will support as they have been very good to the family since they have been here.”

In October 2003 the Grabowksi Family were deported to Poland.

NCADC
66 Dovecot St.
Stockton-on-Tees
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Enquiries/further information:

Kath Sainsbury
01642 679 298

ncadc-north-east@ncadc.org.uk