MEMBER OF SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT ON MERCY MISSION TO AID REFUGEE FAMILY

ROSIE KANE MSP TO TAKE AY FAMILY CASE TO THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT IN BERLIN

Scottish Socialist Party MSP Rosie Kane will tomorrow morning jet out to Berlin to confront the German government over the case of the Ay family whose deportation from the UK is imminent.

The case of the Ay family has come to symbolise the cold cruelty of the Blair government towards those fleeing persecution from around the world.

Yurdurgal Ay and her children were snatched from their home in Gravesend on Wednesday July 17th 2002 and had been held in Dungavel Removal Centre in Scotland until Friday 1st August.

From Germany they are likely to be sent back to Turkey, which their mother fled 15 years ago in the face of persecution. The children, aged between seven and 14, have never set foot in Turkey. Their father, who was deported by British authorities a year ago, has not been heard of since.

Speaking on the eve of her mission to Germany, Rosie said; "The case of the Ay family is a disgrace and casts shame on every heartless Home Office official and the Blair government ministers who set policy.

"We've got to throw aside the asylum laws, throw aside international boundaries to rescue these children.

"The Ay family have had to face psychological torture from the UK government; today I am truly ashamed to be British".

In Germany Rosie will be seeking meetings with the Schroder government and asking them to show some humanity in contrast to the callous cruelty of the Blair government.

She will also be linking up with German socialists, Greens and human rights campaigners to pile pressure on the German government to prevent the family being sent to Turkey.

Rosie said; "The Ay family need a stay of execution. Literally. Their lives are now in the hands of Schroder's government. "I'll be asking my German colleagues to join with me in demanding the family are at least given a breathing space in order to allow further negotiations to take place about their return to Britain. "We will not allow the Ay family to be disappeared by the brutal British government."