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The Rahimi Larki family - Zahrieh, Ali and their son Navid – claimed asylum when they arrived in the UK in August 2004. Since then, the family have lived in Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, when not in detention centres.
 | | Deportation demonstration, Wednesfield |
On the afternoon of 4th of November 2005, people gathered on the traffic island near St. Mary's Catholic Primary School, where Navid is a pupil, to show their support for the family. Zahrieh and Ali say that they will be tortured and possibly executed if they return to Iran, because they are politically active members of a banned pro-democracy organisation.
 | | Deportation demonstration, Wednesfield |
But UK Immigration officials do not believe that the family are in danger if they return to Iran. The Rahimi Larkis have been refused asylum and are to be deported back to Iran. The demonstrators sang "Free, free the Rahimi family" and held placards that read 'Asylum right is a human right', 'No more suicides in detention' and 'How can a child be illegal?'. Eamonn Corduff, Chaplain at New Cross Hospital and Parish Priest at St Patrick’s, New Cross, Wolverhampton expressed his support for the family in a brief speech to the demonstrators on the traffic island.
 | | Deportation demonstration, Wednesfield |
The Rahimi Larkis have been in the news since they spent 32 days in the Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre and petitions were raised in their support. An online petition started by ’The Rahimi Family Must Stay Campaign’ currently contains 171 names. The family's solicitor has written to the Home Office, asking for the deportation decision to be reconsidered. |