The campaign to keep child M and his family in Britain is a long standing one which has won several stages of the fight by building broad support across the north west and beyond. But now the family face a further threat…In August Child M’s mother attended an interview in which she was asked to voluntarily return to Iran otherwise she would be forcibly removed. She refused and was informed that she would be issued with removal orders within 2 weeks.

Immigration officials attempted to deliver papers, ordering their imminent deportation, to the family at their home in Manchester. At the time a documentary TV crew were at the house as Child M is to be featured in a programme for Channel 4’s dispatches series. The incident was reported in an article in the Manchester Evening News.

Last week, the family’s solicitor received a message that the family are to be deported to Iran on September 14th. It seems this family are being included in the Coalition Governments’ trial of chartering flights to return asylum seekers with children to their countries of origin as quickly as possible (see article in The Guardian).We are all very concerned. It is clear to anyone familiar with this case that the family will not be safe in Iran. All attempts to gain asylum in the UK have been unsuccessful despite expert witness statements which authenticate the arrest warrant for Child M’s mother and sister.

Gerald Kaufman MP has represented Child M’s family on a number of occasions. On Monday he forcefully raised their case with the Home Secretary in the House of Commons. He has also written to Damian Green (Immigration Minister, Coalition Government) asking that the family allowed to stay permanently in the UK.

What can you do now?

Contact Immigration Minister Damian Green MP on 020 7035 3986. Or fax on 020 7219 0904

Ask that this family be allowed to stay in the UK permanently.

Remind him that this family has a massive amount of support in their community in Manchester as demonstrated by the 5000 signature petition sent to the Home Office asking for this family to be given the right to stay.

We now need to generate as much publicity, media interest and support as we can.

- Contact your local press to make the aware of the plight of Child M and his family

- Contact your local councillors and MPs urging them to support the family’s right to stay

On previous occasions the Child M Campaign and our supporters have worked together to prevent this family from being deported. Sadly, the family is now in grave danger again.

Please do all you can to help them.