Francine

I was refused asylum and was left destitute for 2 years.  I had no support and was not allowed to work.  I was sofa surfing between friends and got food and support from a local charity.  Life was hard.  I tried to progress my case but each time they said no.  I was very ill and needed support and the judge ruled in my favour and I got accommodation again.

In May last year I was detained, and I was taken to Dungavel detention centre in Scotland for one and a half weeks.  Dungavel was OK; the staff were nice and they told me that I would not be detained for very long because I was sick.  But then I was transferred to Yarl’s Wood detention centre in Bedfordshire.  That place is very bad.  You can’t sleep, the food is bad, and they are deporting people every minute.

The next month I was deported back to Cameroon.  I had five escorts on the flight – three men and two women.  I was crying, but they said that whether I cried or not I was going back to my country.  I fought with them because I was terrified of returning and they put me in handcuffs and forced me on to the flight.

We had to transfer at Paris.  They put a blanket over me so that people couldn’t see that I was handcuffed.  They made me go into an office so people couldn’t see me and bundled me into a car to take me to the next plane.

I was shouting and crying and holding up my hands in the cuffs, they were swollen and bleeding, I still have the scars.  People were asking if I was a criminal and complaining about the British using Air France to send their people back.  The pilot had to apologise.

When we arrived in Cameroon the immigration officials refused to let me back into the country.  They asked why the British hadn’t contacted the Cameroon embassy before.  They did not want me back after all these years when I was clearly sick, and were annoyed that I had been handcuffed and treated like a criminal.

Two officials from the British embassy came to the airport to try to sort things out, they even offered money but it did not work.  The press arrived and took photos and we were told we had 24 hours to leave the country.  But we couldn’t get a flight for all 6 of us that quickly.  We stayed in a hotel for 2 days with the secret police.

On the flight back I was allowed to sit amongst the public, and my hands were free.  On arrival in the UK I was taken back to Yarl’s Wood detention centre.  I managed to find a solicitor and a month later I was released.  I submitted a fresh claim, based on the fact that I could clearly not be returned!

Four months later I received Leave to Remain in the UK!  I was ecstatic.  But the Home Office sent my documents to my solicitor rather than to me.   My solicitor refused to give them to me until I paid him more money.  But I could not work or claim any benefits without my documents so could not get more money to pay him with, or the hostel where I was staying.

It took me a further five months to get my documents from the solicitor.  I still owe him money but at least now I can begin to build a life here.  Finally, after 7 years, I have been given sanctuary.

* Name changed to protect identity.

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