Azim to take year out
Azim Ansari will not be returning to St John’s College this year following the failure of his appeal for asylum. The engineering student, who fled Afghanistan in 2001 fearing persecution from the Taliban, will take a year out. Charles Batty, former senior tutor at St John’s, said the college expected Ansari to return in the future and would be holding his place open.
His campaign manager Emma Jones issued a statement thanking students for the widespread support his case has attracted over the past year. “Azim will be taking this year off and has asked that the campaign give no statements at present.” She stressed that the silence was at Azim’s request and confirmed that the campaign had no plans to take further action in the near future.
“He is aware that there is a whole network of people in Oxford and throughout the student and wider community in the UK who will be available to help him in future, if he should need us,” Jones added. Azim’s present whereabouts are unknown. After the failure of his January appeal he did not apply for a visa. It was hoped that the Home Office would intervene on his behalf during a two-month grace period in order to allow him to complete his studies.
This period has now lapsed and immigration officials have told The Oxford Student that someone in Azim’s position may now be liable for compulsory “removal”. Jones condemned the Home Office’s treatment of Azim’s case as “absolutely unfair”, but insisted that despite the failure of the campaign, it had served an important purpose in highlighting flaws in the immigration system. “I look forward to seeing him in Oxford soon,” she concluded.
St John’s JCR President Harry Kretchmer said he would continue to support Azim in whatever way he could. Jones confirmed that neither Azim nor his brother Wali had returned to Afghanistan but refused to comment on reports that he is residing in Ireland with his wife Becky, where British immigration laws do not have jurisdiction.
5th Oct 2005