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Pupils fight for deported friends

7/11/2005

MORE than one hundred children went on the march to protest at the forced removal to Uganda of five of their former classmates.

During a rally attended by up to 500 people, they read letters they had sent to prime minister Tony Blair appealing for their return.

Thirty-two-year-old Sarah Hata and her five children settled in Wigan 18 months ago after fleeing Uganda, where Sarah claims to have been tortured. Her children, aged between nine and fifteen, attended local schools and received glowing reports.

Last month, their application for asylum was refused, they were arrested and held at Yarls Wood detention centre, Bedfordshire.

The family are believed to be in hiding in Uganda and supporters say they are destitute after being given only a few minutes to gather their belongings when they were arrested. They left Britain with only £30.

Immigration staff refused to allow them to collect cash donated by their supporters.

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