Minister says “ Family do not qualify” and there is “No question that the family have been in any way disadvantaged” on decision in case of Helen  and family. 

I have now heard from Home Office Minister Liam Byrne that Helen and her family do not qualify under the Case Resolution Exercise (sometimes referred to as legacy).

The minister says:

“It is only those cases where there has been no recent contact with the applicant and more information is required that we will seek further information by means of a questionnaire.  If the application is a straightforward one or the applicant has recently been in touch with us, one will not be sent” 

He also says:

For friends and supporters of Helen this decision will bring a very deeply felt disappointment.

As I said last week after my meeting with the minister, this legacy exercise  was the only basis on which the Minister could look at the case.

Other issues (health, fear of violence, abuse, religion) relate to evidence which has been considered in detail at both the original tribunal hearing, the appeal in 2005 and the claim under the European Convention of Human Rights in 2006 and the Minister has never overruled the work of an adjudicator on such issues. 

The family will have been contacted with reminders throughout 2007 about the need to return to Nigeria and would have had warnings after the initial letters about enforcement action.

As an MP it is my job to respond to requests from constituents to ensure that no stone has been left unturned.  I now believe this point has been reached. I will continue to discuss with Helen’s closest advisers what happens now and what scope there is for supporting her safe return to Nigeria in the light of this decision.

Nigeria is not a country which it is impossible to visit and it should be possible for their supporters to keep in touch – and indeed to make sure that things like medicine and education are indeed available.

29 January 2008