"I was terrified": an asylum seeker expresses himself after being wrongly deported from the UK by the Home Office

An asylum seeker who was wrongfully deported by the Ministry of the Interior to a country where he was confronted with immediate danger told his story. Speaking Exclusively The Independent, Solomon Getenet Yitbarek is said to be "terrified, shouting" as immigration officers escorted him into the plane .

The Ethiopian national had been living in the United Kingdom for five years. when he was detained by the Home Office.

"I tried to explain that my life was in danger, but they put me in handcuffs," recalled the 27-year-old. "Nobody listened, one of the officers said," If you do not want to be calm, I will tell the Ethiopian government who you are, I was so scared. "

Upon his arrival at Addis Abeba Bole Airport in the Ethiopian capital, he said that he had been forced to hide.

Shortly after, a judge British ruled that the expulsion had been illegal.

The Interior Ministry later acknowledged that it was an error.After six weeks pbaded fearing to be arrested by the Ethiopian authorities, Mr. Yitbarek was returned to the United Kingdom, but his asylum case remains uncertain.

Persecuted in his country because of his allegiance to a party Politically opposed to the government, he had come to Britain in 2013. His father had been killed because of his opposition to the regime.

After settling in Lancaster, where he volunteered with an organization Local charity, the 27-year-old man was arrested on May 13, year, while signing with the Home Office. to explain that he had an asylum claim pending, but the police proceeded to his confinement.

"I was terrified, I did not understand what was happening. I was in the cell for nearly 48 hours. Then they came and took me to a detention center in London, "he said." I called my lawyer and she was shocked. She said that it was an illegal detention.

"But suddenly, they transferred me to Heathrow, and then they told me that I was about to be sent back to Ethiopia." I was very scared.I said that there must be something wrong, please.I told them that my life was in danger, but they said it was all over for me, that I had nothing, I could not even get up.I was terrified. "

Immigration officers proceeded to tie Mr. Yitbarek in a restraint belt and put him in a van, he said.

"I did not resist, I was just trying to tell them the truth, but they said that they had to put that belt on me" just in case, "he said. Put my waist around and tied my hands in. I felt like a criminal.I was crying until the airport, trying to explain that I was sent to a place where I would be in danger. "

Quatre officiers escortent M. Getenet Yitbarek dans la camionnette, dont trois l'accompagnent également lors du vol vers l'Ethiopie. Il a continué à les avertir du danger auquel il était renvoyé mais, au moment où l'avion a décollé, il n'avait d'autre choix que d'accepter qu'il revenait.

A ce moment-là, il a commencé à penser de façon pragmatique à la façon dont il pouvait réduire le risque. Il a demandé aux escortes d'immigration de prendre et détruire tous les documents qu'il avait qui ont montré son soutien pour le parti politique. Il a également effacé toute preuve de son ordinateur portable.

À leur arrivée, les agents ont remis leur pbadeport aux gardes-frontières éthiopiens.

million. Getenet Yitbarek a ensuite été remis à un garde-frontière qui lui a ordonné de le suivre.

"J'ai vu que nous marchions vers deux policiers", at-il dit. Je savais que je devais sauver ma vie. L'aéroport était occupé. L'officier marchait juste devant moi. J'ai pris le risque et je me suis échappé. "

Ayant été en contact avec d'autres partisans de son parti politique avant son renvoi, M. Yitbarek savait que l'un d'entre eux se trouvait à l'extérieur de l'aéroport avec une voiture. "Je me sentais terrifié à l'idée de ce qui pouvait m'arriver, c'était comme un cauchemar et, pour autant que je le sache, seuls mon frère et ma tante étaient dans le pays, mais je ne pouvais pas me rendre visite. Peu de temps après, il découvrit que son frère était décédé et que sa tante avait également fui le pays par peur, de sorte qu'il n'avait plus de famille dans son pays d'origine.

Sachant que sa mère était au Soudan, il décida d'essayer de traverser la frontière – un problème rendu plus difficile par son manque de pbadeport.

Après qu'il a finalement fait son chemin dans le pays, il a découvert qu'elle avait déménagé dans un autre état.

Quelques jours plus tard, alors qu'il séjournait chez des amis au Soudan, M. Getenet Yitbarek a eu des nouvelles de son avocat au Royaume-Uni, qui lui a dit que le tribunal avait ordonné son retour.

"J'ai été surpris. Je pensais que c'était ça », a-t-il dit. "A cette époque, j'ai découvert que ma petite amie au Royaume-Uni était enceinte, j'étais tellement contente d'apprendre que je pouvais retourner en sécurité, mais j'étais aussi triste de la mort de mon frère et que je n'avais pas pu »

L'ambbadade de Grande-Bretagne au Soudan l'a contacté et lui a dit qu'ils lui remettaient des documents de voyage pour son retour et il a dû faire attention, comme si les autorités soudanaises l'avaient trouvé sans papiers. Il était susceptible de l'arrêter et de le renvoyer en Ethiopie.

Deux semaines plus tard, le 4 juillet, il embarqua pour un vol en direction du Royaume-Uni.

"J'étais surpris d'être en clbade affaires!" was happy, but then coming back and knowing that I was still under this process put me back again to where I was. I knew I was going to have to start from the beginning.”

Although the Home Office has admitted the deported was carried out in error, the government has made no apology to Mr Yitbarek. They simply gave him a date for when he should next sign on in August and warned him that he could be detained again.

“I’m still stressed. I’m struggling to sleep at night," he said. "When I got back they told me that I could be detained again. I’m still waiting. Now I don’t know what will happen next time I got to sign on. I’m worried the same thing could happen again.

“I just want my case to be considered. I’m not expecting anything else from the Home Office. I’m hoping I can just be safe and live my life with my new family.”

When asked about the case, a Home Office spokesperson said: “The courts ruled that Mr Yitbarek had been removed in error because his solicitors had not received the full grounds of the Home Office decision to refuse his application ahead of his departure.

“As soon as the court ruling was received, arrangements were put in place to return him to the UK for his case to be dealt with.”