FIR reuniting families

Client Y- In March 2016 the Federation was contacted by a distressed couple who was placed in emergency accommodation in Croydon.  The couple was separated from their 18 month old child by people smugglers in Lille but was subsequently found by a motorist walking alone along a busy road in the area and taken to the local police station.  After some preliminary enquires the Development Worker discovered the whereabouts of the child and was forced to enter into lengthy negotiations with the French authorities, who wanted to place the child into protective care in France.  The Development Worker contacted the French Human Rights campaigners who assisted him in persuading the French authorities to release the child into the care of the child’s parents who are now living in the UK.

Client H – a Kurdish Refugee living in the UK for 6 years had successfully built a new life and family.  Despite having a 3 month old son H was forcibly deported. FIR assisted his wife to find a solicitor.  The solicitor successfully appealed H’s deportation.  The court agreed to bring back G to be reunited with his family in the UK. Quote from H “Without FIR I would not have been able to see my family in the UK again. I was forcibly deported to Iraq and separated from my wife and baby.  FIR  helped me to return to the UK”.

The Federation has been called upon to help reunite unaccompanied children caught up in the refugee crises find relatives in London.  Islington social services contacted FIR to help find the brother of an unaccompanied 15 year old boy. Through various contacts the Federation representative was able to trace the brother of the missing boy and with the support of others was able to trace the missing boy.  The boy is now living with his brother