A Christian asylum-seeker mother in Thailand has sought assistance from the British Asian Christian Association (BACA) to secure the release of her children, who remain detained in an Immigration Detention Center (IDC), in Bangkok.
The family was arrested during an immigration raid in October last year. While the mother and her youngest son who requires special care have been released on bail, the rest of the family continues to endure the harsh conditions of detention, awaiting their freedom.
BACA is actively working to support the family and advocate for releasing the three remaining family members.
On the afternoon of Thursday, 24th October, Royal Thai Immigration Officers conducted a raid on Phutthabucha Road in Bangkok, arresting 47-year-old widow Rubina Babar and her family. Those arrested include her two daughters, Simran Babar (25) and Marish Babar (23), as well as her two sons, Wishal Babar (21) and Soham Babar (17). Soham, a young boy with special needs, has lived with his condition since being hit by a train as a child. The family, peacefully asleep in their small rented apartment at the time, was abruptly woken and detained by immigration officers.
Following their arrest, the family was confined to the IDC in Sathon, Bangkok, where they were presented before a judge and fined 6,000 Thai Baht (£136) each for overstaying their visas. Many of these fines were paid for by BACA. Overstaying is treated as a serious crime under Thai law, further complicating the already dire situation of asylum seekers like the Babar family.
On 3rd December 2024, Rubina Babar and her youngest son, Soham, were released on bail from the Immigration Detention Center (IDC) in Sathon, Bangkok. However, her other children—Simran (25), Marish (23), and Wishal (21)—remain in detention as Rubina was unable to arrange the necessary bail funds for them.
A clip of one of our school for asylum seekers can be viewed in this BBC report (click here)
Rubina Babar, a Pakistani Christian asylum-seeker, is desperately seeking help to secure the release of her three children—Simran (25), Marish (23), and Wishal (21)—from the Immigration Detention Center (IDC) in Bangkok. While Rubina and her youngest son, Soham (17), were released on bail on 3rd December 2024, the family remains separated as Rubina cannot afford the 150,000 baht (£3593) required for her children’s release, with bail set at 50,000 baht (£1,198) per person.
Detention Conditions and Plea for Help
Rubina and her youngest son Soham were released on bail on 3rd December, but her three other children remain detained due to the family’s inability to pay the required bail amount of £1,824 per person, totaling £5,472.
Rubina described the appalling conditions in the IDC, saying:
“The situation in the IDC is dire. Detainees are provided with only one meal a day, and even that is often insufficient to feed everyone. The overcrowded, cramped rooms—housing over 70 people in spaces too small to sit or sleep comfortably—are breeding grounds for disease, which spreads rapidly due to the lack of medical supplies. Medicines are scarce, if not entirely unavailable. We had to rely on money to buy water or make a call, which added to the constant struggle. Living under such harsh and degrading conditions feels like a deliberate attempt to pressure people into returning to their homelands. Many Christians have endured years of detention, refusing to go back to Pakistan, where their lives would be in grave danger.”
The Babar family fled Lahore, Pakistan, in 2013 after facing false accusations of desecrating the Quran—a dangerous allegation in Pakistan, where blasphemy laws are often misused to target minorities. Their escape to Thailand was an attempt to find safety, but they have since lived under constant threat of arrest and deportation.
In 2021, the family suffered another tragedy when the patriarch, Babar Masih, died in a workplace accident while earning a meager wage without any safety measures or insurance. His death left Rubina to care for her children alone, under immense financial and emotional strain. BACA has regularly supported Rubina since the death of Babar. Learn more (click here).
Rubina, unable to work due to her youngest son Soham’s epilepsy and special care needs, has appealed to BACA for financial assistance to reunite her family. The organization is calling on compassionate individuals to help raise the necessary funds to bring Simran, Marish, and Wishal home, providing them with the safety and dignity they desperately need.
How You Can Help
Rubina has turned to the British Asian Christian Association (BACA) for help in securing the release of her children. Their plight highlights the harsh realities faced by countless asylum seekers in Thailand, who live in constant fear of raids and endure inhumane detention conditions. You can make a difference. Help us raise the funds needed to free Simran, Marish, and Wishal by donating (here).
To learn more about the family’s history and challenge watch this video:
Your contributions have the power to make a profound impact in reuniting this vulnerable family and restoring their safety and dignity. Every donation, no matter how small, plays a vital role in bringing them closer to the freedom they deserve. This is a shared responsibility, and together, we can create a path to hope and a brighter future for a family in desperate need. To support their cause, please click this link (here). Every contribution counts and brings us one step closer to success.
We have extensive experience in helping asylum seekers escape the harsh conditions of the IDC. To see the impact of our work and how your support can make a difference, please watch this video:
Here is another:
Juliet Chowdhry, Trustee for the British Asian Christian Association, said:
“This family has endured unimaginable suffering. Rubina, a mother already burdened with the care of her mentally impaired son, Soham, is desperate to be reunited with her children. The loss of her husband, Babar, in a tragic workplace accident—where he worked for a pittance in unsafe conditions—has left them with nothing. They have never received compensation for his death, and their lives have been shattered by bigotry and injustice. This family has lost everything, yet they still have each other and their faith in God. It is a travesty that such a situation continues. We must come together to help them, for no family should endure this kind of hardship.”
