Save Bienvenu N'Sele from Deportation

We the undersigned believe that Bienvenu NSele should be allowed to remain in the UK.

Bienvenu is a pastor of the Congolese Pentecostal Church, and was a community leader in his suburb of Kinshasa. In 1998, his village was overrun by rebel forces, and he advised his congregation to non-violently refuse to co-operate with the troops. For this he was beaten with rifle butts, but not seriously injured. The following Sunday he repeated his advice, and was stabbed through the head with a bayonet during a more sustained beating from the troops. He spent 6 months in hospital and required major surgery. The scar is still clearly visible. He survived the attack and continued to preach in his village undisturbed until 2002.

In January 2003, now a father of a 6 month old child, Bienvenu was arrested at his home on suspicion of plotting to kill Joseph Kabila. He was in fact in possession of T-Shirts supporting an opposition party, and had never been involved in any militant activity. He, along with 2 other MLC members were tortured for 2 weeks and told they were to be executed. A guard who was a member of Bienvenu's church informed his uncle of this, and a bribe was paid to secure his release. His colleagues were shot. Bienvenu was taken to Kinshasa airport and flown under a false passport to Heathrow. The following day he presented himself at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate and claimed asylum as a political refugee.

Bienvenu suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, epilepsy and depression as a result of his experiences. He is racked with guilt and worry that his wife and child were harmed or killed before they were able to flee. His uncle and the guard who assisted him are missing presumed dead. For 3 years following his arrival he was homeless, sleeping on friends floors and relying on the support of church members for money.

Despite his serious problems, Bienvenu has been a model citizen since his arrival. He is a regular volunteer with St Mungo's, tending gardens at homeless hostels. He sits on his church's child protection group aimed at highlighting and preventing abuse in his community. He regularly volunteers to teach bible studies and prayer groups at his church. He has taken courses in brickwork and landscape gardening, and has been offered a job by St Mungo's which his immigration status unfortunately prevented him taking up. He has no criminal record.

Bienvenu's status has been unresolved and his life on hold for more than 5 years. He has never committed a crime, but has been in court 5 times for separate asylum hearings. Each time the situation drags on and on, preventing him continuing his life in the UK. If this hearing finds against him, he faces detention in a removal centre, and as deportations to Congo are suspended, this detention would be effectively indefinite.

No purpose is served by the continued efforts to deport Bienvenu, and that by allowing him to remain the UK would be living up to its responsibilities to protect those in danger of persecution, as well as gaining an honest, committed and hardworking member of society that wants nothing more than to live in the UK, find his family and contribute to the country that protected him at his most needy.