After suicide threats

AFTER threatening suicide by starvation to highlight their plight, 13 illegal African immigrants who have been languising inside the State Prisons for several months, are to be deported back to their homelands by month’s end.

Yesterday, Prison Commissioner John Rougier said all arrangements have been put in place with respect to special visas for the illegal immigrants and if all goes well, the prisoners should be deported by month’s end.

Yesterday, the African prisoners incarcerated at the Maximum Security Prison, Golden Grove in Arouca were denied a meeting with their lawyer Jawara Mobota who went to the prison yesterday seeking a meeting.

Mobota was reportedly in the process of writing to Attorney General John Jeremie querying why he was not allowed by the Prison Authorities to meet with the prisoners. Yesterday, the National Afrikan Association issued a press release questioning what it described as the most frightening display of an example of abuse of power by the authorities.

“It is quite obvious that not only have the Prison Authorities abused their power, but they have also breached the fundamental legal and human rights of the Afrikan immigrants and subjected the State to constitutional and human rights action in the Courts of the world for such a violation,” the release stated.

The 13 African prisoners are awaiting deporation to their homeland and have complained of empty promises which were made to them by the prison authorities regarding a speedy deportation.

Rougier said yesterday that approval has already been granted for special visas for the prisoners to gain entry into a certain country to ensure the prisoners a safe journey home. The majority of the prisoners are from Nigeria. They were arrested after over-staying their time in the country.