British Pakistani Christian Association have been challenging the immigration authorities in Thailand over the incarceration of two vulnerable victims in the infamously brutal Immigration Detention Centres in Bangkok.
We have had some success and the Immigration Depertment have agreed to free tow victims who desperately need our help.
The first victim is NargisMaqsood who is 50 years old. Nargis was arrested on 10th September 2015 and has been detained away from husband and three children for almost a year. Fortunately for Nargis her youngest son is 14 years old and we have pressed on Thai Immigration to free her on the basis of his vulnerability and adolescence. We have received news today that the Immigration department would allow her to go free of we can pay the bail fines of 50,000 baht the equivalent of £1107 under the current exchange rate.
We have also been working on the release of Imran Gill who is aged 27 years and was arrested on 3rd June 2016. Imran has a brother and sister who are also asylum seekers who have been praying for his release. Imran is partially paralysed and had stunted growth as a child. After an accident in Lahore he was left with titanium plates in his femur making him dependent on crutches. He is unable to sit or stand comfortably in the IDC and after some serious dialogue the Immigration Department has conceded his health condition permits him to apply for bail too. BPCA will have to raise the same bail fees to release Imran too – which is a further £1107 .
Once we pay the bail fees for the two individuals they will obtain a two year protection from re-arrest which will bring some calm into their lives. Please help us the necessary funds to complete this necessary work.
One third victim needs your help. We received an email form Ruth Masih from TROTB Ministries in Thailand. Our two groups have been supporting each other’s work. Ruth described the desperate need to help a Pastor who has been caught up in a recent wave of arrests, since the six bomb blasts in Thailand. She wrote:
Hi Wilson,
I am writing this request to BPCA for help in raising 5000 baht [ £111 ] towards the court fees for Pastor Yousaf, his wife, Son and 2 sisters, 7000baht has already been raised towards the fees, the amount required is only 5000 baht.
This family was arrested from their family home in Ladprao 111 at approx 1700pm, the younger son was at work when this incident happened and was informed later by his brother. Once they reached the station.
Please be assured the younger son is in a safe house away from this location.
It has been reported this family was to attend an UN interview tomorrow and a complaint was made against them by an unknown source to UN.
We are not quite sure why and how this has come about but all we know is that immigration was reported and they were all arrested.
This family will be taken to court in the next 24 hours, if these fees cannot be paid they will face prison. So we pray all of these fees can be met before the court. Myself and Nima will be going to the court and meeting with them all.
I look forward to hearing from you soon Wilson.
If you would like to help us raise these emergency funds please (click here). May God bless you for your generosity.
Watch the BBC Documentary titled Thailand’s Asylum Crackdown (click here)
Please sign and share our petition (click here)