Noel family

To: The Home Secretary, Rt. Hon. Charles Clarke

We, the undersigned, ask you to reconsider the case of the Noel family, whose application for asylum in the UK has been rejected. We believe that there are strong reasons why you should urgently reconsider this case, and grant the family leave to remain in the UK on compelling compassionate grounds.

The Noel family were a particularly high profile Christian family within the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Mr and Mrs Noel are both highly trained professional people. They had well paid jobs, a home and strong family ties in Pakistan. However, Mr and Mrs Noel and their children faced intolerable pressure because of their position as high profile Christians, and in June 2002, the situation for them had deteriorated to such an extent that they had to flee the country, fearing for their lives. Mr Noel applied for asylum in the UK, and was initially refused. He appealed against this decision, and the judge hearing the case recognised the strength of Mr Noel's case, and decided the appeal in his favour. Just days before this decision was to become final, however, the Home Office decided to make an appeal, and this further appeal was successful. Mr Noel was denied asylum.

Following further attacks on their family back in Pakistan, and a worsening of the situation for Christians and other religious minorities in that country, Mrs Noel lodged an application for asylum in her own right. After a long battle with the Home Office, her application, too, has ultimately been refused. The judges in both appeal cases found Mr and Mrs Noel to be "credible witnesses" (i.e. they believed the Noels' statements concerning their suffering in Pakistan). Nor was it denied that they may well face further persecution should they be forcibly returned to Pakistan. However, they have still been refused asylum in the UK.

We ask you to grant this family leave to remain in the UK on compassionate grounds. Amongst the many reasons, we would mention the following:

1. Mr and Mrs Noel have 3 young children, who have now lived in the UK for more than 3 years, and clearly regard this as their home (their youngest child has lived in the UK longer than she has lived in Pakistan). They are highly intelligent, and are amongst the top achievers in their school. They are also extremely polite and well behaved. The family have the full support of their local school community. To return the children to Pakistan at this point would be cruel in the extreme.
2. Mr and Mrs Noel have left behind a very high standard of living, together with their home, good jobs, and their wider family in Pakistan. They are clearly not economic migrants - there is no logical reason why they come to the UK unless they were genuinely in need of asylum.
3. Mr and Mrs Noel are highly qualified, professional people (Mr Noel was a science teacher, and Mrs Noel held a responsible position with Pakistan International Airlines). Here is a family who are desperate to make a positive contribution to British society.
4. This is clearly a family who are very fearful of what would happen to them if they were returned to Pakistan. Anyone meeting them would be in no doubt of this.

We believe that to remove this high profile Christian family from the UK and return them to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan would be an unjust act, and would place the lives of the whole family in very grave danger. Their decision to seek asylum in the UK arose from urgent necessity. The family have integrated well into our society, are highly valued, and are already making a positive contribution in many ways, not least through their local church community. Their professional training and background mean that they are ideally placed to offer much needed skills and service to our society. They have great support from many sections of the local community, and we believe that there are compelling reasons for you to act with compassion and grant leave in this case.

Please reconsider and grant the Noel family leave to remain in the UK.