They Are Staying!

Tony Lola and his mother Mireille Maswa fled DR Congo and have been seeking asylum in the UK. On 16 April, Phil Woolas, the immigration minister, wrote to Mireille and Tony, GRANTING THEM BOTH LEAVE TO REMAIN IN THE UK.

We thank God that our prayers have been answered and that the campaign on their behalf has been successful.

Press Release | Guardian 21/4/2009

Details of the campaign can be found below and via the links on the left.

DETAILS OF THE CAMPAIGN

Following an interview with the Home Office on 10 February, a publicity campaign explaining Tony and Mireille's plight was launched in order to bring public and media attention to their case.

The campaign was launched with a petition and has attracted substantial support and media coverage – visit the links on the left.

Campaign goes to London - 30 March 2009

London Trip on TV | The petition

After just seven weeks, the petition gathered over 2,000 signatures and the decision was made to take it to London before the Easter recess.
 
On Monday morning 30 March, with the sun shining and media cameras waiting on Stockport station, a group of ten pupils including Tony, accompanied by Matt Whitehead, their headteacher, Mireille, Rev. Nick B and parents, boarded the train to Euston.
 

The petition was presented to Parliament with the support of John Leech, MP for Withington and now has a permanent record in Hansard. All wore red t-shirts saying "Tony Lola, you have brought a light into our lives" and campaign wristbands.
 

Copies of the petition were also delivered by the group to the Home Office, where they were met by films crews as well as a representative from Phil Woolas’ Private Office. Before leaving, the group sang the campaign song on the Home Office steps!

Earlier the group arrived at the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) to hand in persuasive letters from Tony’s Year 5 class-mates for Ed Balls. To our delight, the children, Mireille, Rev. Nick, Matt Whitehead, and Ruth Wilson were invited to meet Baroness Delyth Morgan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families), who congratulated us on the campaign!
 

Some quotes from those who went:

“I don’t know about everyone else but I feel incredibly privileged to have been a part of today!!  It was quite an amazing experience!”
 
“I am especially impressed with those kids - when I grow up I want to be just like them!!”
 
“Mireille's happiness when she got out of the car last night will stay with me.”
 
“When Granada Reports interviewed Mireille yesterday morning, she was asked about how she felt with all this support behind her and she replied that "I feel like I have a new family"!”

Campaign wristbands 
Designed by Tony Lola and Holly Penfold, the wristbands were sold for £1 to raise the profile of the campaign, and for solidarity and prayer. Profits were split between the Campaign fund and Caterpillar, the Tuesday night Christian drama group that Tony's part of. 

Background to the campaign
Mireille and Tony have begun to rebuild their lives in south Manchester and have become valued and loved members within our community - both at Didsbury C of E School and St James and Emmanuel.

After several appeals, both were refused asylum. They were called to an interview with the Home Office on Tuesday 10 February.

Tony and Mireille went in as instructed, to do paperwork with a UK Border Agency official at Dallas Court Reporting centre on Tuesday, and they came out again! It was an anxious wait for over an hour as no friends were allowed to accompany them inside the building.

Many Congolese were there, all to attend additional interviews held to prepare travel documents in readiness for their 'removal' from the UK back to DRC. Tony returned to school at lunchtime, and was met with wild excitement from his class mates in Year 5!

On Wednesday 11 February, Mireille completed her statement as part of the fresh claim to be lodged by the Immigration Advisory Service. The purpose was to obtain indefinite leave to remain. Removal will not take place once the appeal is pending.

Vicar and headteacher handcuffed for justice!

On Thursday 12 February, Didsbury CE Primary School choir recorded a song for Tony written by Sian Gasson and Ruth Wilson. Listen to the song here.

The media began to take notice of Mireille and Tony's case in February and the campaign went from strength to strength.

What people were asked to do
Although a fresh appeal was launched, the publicity campaign explaining Tony and Mireille's plight was vital if we were to increase public and media awareness oftheir case.

Three things people were asked to do:

• Pray for Mireille and Tony and those working on their behalf to keep them in the UK - especially Abbie, from the Immigration Advisory Service
• Sign the online petition and forward the link to as many people as possible - http://www.gopetition.co.uk/online/25165.html
• Revisit this page regularly for updates on the campaign.

Thank you to everyone who helped in any way.