A Christian asylum seeker who has experienced difficulties with his asylum case due to the Home Office underestimating the threats to Christians in Pakistan, was detained over Christmas without notice.
Asher Samson spent Christmas 2018 in detention two hours away from his British relatives. The Birmingham resident was set to be deported by the Home Office when he was detained without notice on 26 November during his regular sign-in with authorities. His case is ongoing and supporters are appealing to gain not only a reprieve, but a resubmission of his asylum claim due to the ineffective processes implemented by the Home Office.
Attacked in home town
Asher originally came to the UK to study theology. He sought asylum in the UK after being attacked and repeatedly threatened with extra-judicial killing by extremists on a family trip back to his hometown, Abbottabad in January 2007. Abbottabad was the location of Osama bin Laden’s secret compound where he hid until being caught by American special forces. Extremists targeted Asher because of his work and profile as an Assistant Pastor prior to starting his studies, and his family history of Christian ministry in the wider Hazara region of Northern Pakistan.
Home Office Administration processes have meant that it has taken over four years from Asher’s original asylum claim to have his first-tier immigration and asylum hearing earlier in 2018. During this delay, Asher has been unable to work and earn a living. The upper-tier Immigration and Asylum judge saw no reason to depart from the judgment of the lower tribunal judge in February 2018 and therefore refused an appeal hearing.
The threat to Pakistani Christians has been understated in the Home Office policy and country report.
