Furaha Asani, a young academic at Leicester University, was shocked when her visa application was rejected in August. But real fear set in when she realised Britain plans to deport her in three weeks’ time to the Democratic Republic of Congo – a war-torn country she has never visited and where the Home Office agrees
sexual violence is pervasive.
Dr Asani came to the UK on a full scholarship to do a PhD on infection and immunity at Sheffield University, and has since been undertaking cardiovascular research at Leicester University. Her father was from the DRC, but fled in 1968 because as a student activist, his life was at risk. Asani grew up in Nigeria. Although she has a Congolese passport, she has never been to the DRC, which has one of the
worst human rights records in the world. She does not speak the main language and knows no one there.
“A week after my visa rejection I had another letter from the
Home Office saying I didn’t have any right to appeal from within the UK and I would be deported to the DRC if I didn’t go,” she says. “It was an extremely scary letter. I was shaking and felt I would throw up. The idea of being sent there is so frightening.”