Marian, a All African Women’s Group member, has won refugee status to stay in the UK!
When she first came to the AAWG she was very distressed because the council was about to evict her and her two young children. This was in the middle of winter during the pandemic.
Marian suffered life threatening rape and domestic violence in Nigeria. Like many women in our network, she didn’t know until she met AAWG, that what she had suffered would entitle her to claim asylum in the UK.
She was particularly scared about being evicted because social services threatened that if she became homeless they would take her children from her.
We couldn’t stop the eviction but a woman in AAWG kindly offered to let her share her small flat temporarily while Women Against Rape helped her claim asylum, get housing from NASS and provided food vouchers so she and her children didn’t go hungry. Marian was interviewed about her struggle – see the article here.
“If one of the mothers in the All African Women’s Group hadn’t stepped forward to house us and we all hadn’t fought together, I could have been sent back which would have been the end of me. But I’m housed and the fight goes on.”
Earlier this year she was granted refugee status. This is a massive victory and finally allows Marian and her two children to begin to settle in the UK and heal.
All African Women's Group 