UK immigration asked to let family continue living in UK

November 20 2009 by Liam Clifford

Mother and daughter plea not to be deported to Malawi.

A plea has been made to UK immigration officials to prevent the deportation to Africa of a Malawian woman and her daughter.

The pair, who have been living in the UK for over six years, face being deported to Africa on Monday (23 November) after they were detained following a routine immigration meeting.

Glasgow MSP Anne McLaughlin wrote to UK immigration minister Phil Woolas, asking for Florence and Precious Mhango to be allowed to continue living in the UK on humanitarian grounds.

According to McLaughlin, 10-year-old Precious is at risk of being separated from her mother and harmed if she returns to Africa.

She tells the BBC the case is "extremely distressing", adding that the child is "well integrated" in the Glasgow community: "This girl has been educated entirely in the UK, she has taken an English name, and knows only Scottish and English culture."

The Scottish government has been asked to work with the Home Office to enable the mother and daughter to continue living in the UK.

News of the possible deportation follows the case of Sunderland-born Adrian Atkinson, a six-year-old also threatened with deportation to Africa after his mother's temporary UK visa ran out.

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