19 July 2021: Poem by Loraine Masiya Mponela:
Do not let Bukhariri be forgotten for in the system there are many Bukhariris
Do not let Bukhariri be forgotten!
By Loraine Masiya Mponela
Today 18 July 2021 Is
Another dark day
Another death in asylum hotel
Another body without a soul
Bukhariri Afifi Ahmad
Is no more
A young Sudanese asylum seeker
So far away from home
Confronted by a hostile system
Living in poor conditions and neglect
Suffering from the never ceasing trauma
Of war, death and destruction
A man who has never known peace
Concerns were raised but ignored
It becomes too much
Echoes of loneliness
Change to echoes of pain
Now we are left with questions.
Why Bhukariri, why
Without disclosing even to one friend
How many of emergency demonstrations are enough
To stop these deaths?
Do we wait for them to reach that threshold
And regroup again and say Why?
Do not let Bukhariri be forgotten
For in the system are many Bukhariris.
18 July 2021: Care4Calais: We are heartbroken to report the death of a young man from Sudan who was living in a London hotel visited by our volunteers. We were given the sad news by his friends this morning. Having survived unknown horrors in his home country, and a gruelling journey to get here in search of safety, it is devastating to hear that it is in the UK that he met his end.
Our volunteers also knew this cheerful young man for a few months of his journey while he was in Calais. He lived under one of the bridges in the city centre.
One of our team leaders described him as happy and jokey, saying that every time she saw him he would shout over and give her a fist bump and say hello. He used to pretend to jump in and out of the distribtion line for a joke. He didn’t speak much English but every time she saw him they would ‘laugh, even without words’.
This follows the inquest in May into the death in another London hotel of a man from the Ivory Coast. The inquest concluded natural causes but the mans friends remain unhappy as he had requested an ambulance multiple times before being discovered dead in his room. Last year in August Abdullah from Yemen died in a Manchester hotel.
The mans friends are upset as they have been given no information about his death or about what will happen to his body. As with previous deaths of asylum seekers facts are hard to come by. Our local volunteers are supporting the friends through this difficult time.
Demands from a Pandemic · *LONDON CALL OUT EMERGENCY DEMO* #nomorehoteldetention
PLEASE SHARE WIDELY!
Emergency demonstration tomorrow @ 14:00
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Stockley Road, West Drayton UB7 9NA
Bukhariri Afifi Ahmad, a young Sudanese asylum seeker, was found dead in his hotel room late last night. The reasons for his death are still unclear.
He was last seen alive on Friday evening. When other residents raised concerns about Bukhariri’s welfare, hotel management initially refused to open his door and check on him.
This morning the residents organised a demonstration to protest the poor conditions and neglect they live in at the hotel which they say lead to Bukhariri’s death.
They have called another demonstration for TOMORROW @ 2PM in front of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in West Drayton and are asking for support!
More people have died in Home Office accommodation than crossing the Channel in the last years. After making such long and dangerous journeys, why are so many dying under the government’s duty of care?
Do not let Bukhariri be forgotten!
Movement for Justice@followMFJ: BREAKING another young asylum seekers has died in hotel accommodation – his friends here protesting & want world to know what happened – follow thread for full video & their message
We protest to investigate the death of our Sudanese friend & demand Home Office regularise status of refugees because we have had more than a year living in hotels and there are no asylum procedures” time to end hotel detention #endDetention #RefugeesWelcome