Kurdish family ends hunger strike after UK authorities agree to citizenship meeting

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A Kurdish family in the UK has ended their hunger strike 24 hours after they launched it, demanding a response on their immigration status after waiting nearly 20 years for a decision.

The Kamil family spent over 24 hours without food or water outside the Border and Immigration office in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland, in attempts to pressure authorities to decide on their right to remain in the country after 18 years.  A spokesman for the family said they had been offered and had accepted a meeting with the Home Office next Thursday according to BBC Scotland.

According to a local report, the Kurdish family of six, originally from the Kurdistan Region, said they would not “move or eat” until a decision has been reached on their citizenship status.

“It has got to the point that there is no other way out. There is no justice, so the only way out is to put our lives at risk,” the daughter, Banaz, had told CommonSpace.

The strike was prompted by Banaz, the youngest in the family, had her university application rejected because she did not have a passport.

The family says they have exhausted all of their efforts through official channels, with no luck.

“I have ID from when I first arrived in the country. There is a photo of me on it from when I was five years old, but that is all the identification I have,” Banaz explained.

Her brother, Serbaz, has also faced issues with his business as he hasn’t been able to obtain a passport as well.

While the family’s second son, Daban, was able to attend university, it was only under a temporary one-year “leave to remain” passport they had been granted in 2012.

“I have just graduated in mechanical engineering at Strathclyde but didn’t attend the graduation ceremony because it means nothing to me because I don’t have the right papers to go and get a job,” Daban lamented.

“They are not going to invest in you, and train you just for you to be stuck here.”

The family says authorities are refusing to listen to them.

 “Since 2013 they have just said your case is outstanding, but yesterday they looked at it and said we are not a priority and it hadn’t been reviewed in five years. We have contacted local politicians and MPs, and they send letters to the Home Office, but we get nothing back. It is only normal people who seem to want to help us. Scottish people are why we are still here. The normal people in Scotland help anyone,” Daban noted.

Dastan, the youngest of the brothers and a promising boxer, shares the despair of his siblings.

“I just need the passport to take it that bit further,” he said. “I won the Scottish Championships and was asked to go across to Serbia to compete in a well-paid tournament but was unable to go due to not having a passport. I did go to the UK Championships in England and got a silver medal. I have been told by the coaches at the Scottish team that there are opportunities so this is me acting on that by trying to get my passport.” 

The family began their journey outside of Iraq to the UK 18 years ago, with their father making the trip first, followed by the two eldest sons and finally joined by the youngest and their mother five years later.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: “We are currently reviewing the family’s application, and have invited them to a meeting to discuss their cases.”