A veterinary research scientist from Ethiopia, Minutet came to Liverpool in August 2000, to study a Masters Degree in the School of Tropical Medicine. At the time she had recently produced a report for the International Atomic Energy Agency into reproductive aspects of the Tsetse fly, was one of the highest paid academics in Ethiopia and had delivered her papers to International audience in Africa.
The civil unrest in her country made her fearful for her to return and in September 2001 she applied for Asylum, surrendering her passport to the Home Office. With her asylum claim pending, she also applied to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) and her passport was transferred to this department. It is important to note that Minutet has been without National Asylum Support Service (NASS)’s help since 2003: effectively she is destitute.
From this point onward there has been a catalogue of mismanagement by the Home Office in all their dealings with Minutet. Her asylum claim was refused but notification was sent to the wrong address. Despite making this clear, notification of her hearing decision was again sent to the wrong address. NASS then withdrew her support without warning and despite numerous attempts by her solicitor and Refugee Action, there was no reply from NASS or Home Office.
In September 2003 her HSMP application was rejected, apparently due to insufficient evidence and, although her educational achievements received top marks, the work experience, salary and achievement in field of work, all received zero. In October 03, additional evidence was sent, and concerns raised about her passport, which had not been returned. The silence was deafening and a further four letters were sent following up the additional evidence.
In January 04, the additional documents were returned but with no mention of the case review, why the documents had been returned or why the passport was not with them. March 04 saw a letter from the HSMP apologising that another department had Minutet’s passport and that this would be returned in due course.
In April 04 a letter came from another Government department requesting her passport and accusing her of non-compliance, threatening the use of an enforcement team. Minutet then contacted a local MP to try to bring clarity to the situation. In May that year an apology was sent from the Deputy Chief Caseworker of Scotland, Northern Ireland, North West and Southern Regions, confirming 2 separate teams were working on the application and that this had caused confusion. They also referred to a refusal decision made in April, which Minutet had never received.
Another letter was received in May stating that Minutet was refused on the basis that she had entered the country illegally (clearly untrue as she had a valid visa in her passport to prove this) and that her HSMP marks were zero – the education section for which she had received full marks previously was now also zero.
This was a bleak time for Minutet as her solicitor now gave up her case. She was now destitute, without permission to work and with no passport, so she had no way to leave the country even if she wished to.
Minutet managed to find another solicitor and in June 05 the Immigration Minister replied to the MP apologising for the mistake. The Home Office continually refused to acknowledge that the case had been mishandled, but revealed that Minutet’s passport along with Home Office file, had been lost. It was suggested that she send all her documents and correspondence to the Ministerial Correspondence team in Manchester as a matter of priority for case review.
Despite the Ministers orders, the HSMP said the review was outside the 28 day review period and could not be accepted. Presumably this refers to September 03 when the original claim was rejected. However, once again with the help of the MP, the HSMP agreed to review.
Unsurprisingly the reply in September 05 upheld HSMP’s previous decision, starting that Minutet did not qualify, but still refused to explain why they had arrived at their decisions. In addition there are many mistakes in the refusal letter and she has documentation that shows this.
In January this year a further letter from HSMP was received, stating the application had been rejected on the basis of insufficient evidence and requested further evidence.
This was provided but due to an administration error, which the Home Office acknowledged, the evidence returned without being looked at. It was again sent back and delivery confirmed. Phone calls in April and May with a caseworker showed that the Home Office had again misplaced the file.
In June she received a letter stating she was liable for detention and further letters regurgitating the same flawed reasons for refusal. Minutet has never been given the reason why her salary, work experience and academic achievement have all been awarded zero marks in her HSMP application and her passport is still missing so she still cannot leave the country.
Minutet is destitute: she receives no government money and is not permitted to work. She has even been told she is not allowed to volunteer. She stays with friends and gets money and food where can. She is very well educated and dignified person, who has been crushed by the system and now takes regular medication for depression. In spite of this she still works as a volunteer on a Lung Cancer research programme with the University of Liverpool and at the Glox Neurological Centre. She also works on the allotment plot at Asylum Link and other plot-holders are surprised to find a research scientist tending the tomatoes in the patch next door. She has been waiting 5 years for a resolution to her situation and despite myriad admissions of incompetence by the Home Office, they steadfastly refuse to give either evidence or justification for their decisions, going back to the same tired answers on each occasion.
Sadly for Minutet, her skills as an academic are inevitably degrading as she slips further from her areas of study and her knowledge becomes dated. If you Google Menjeta Tse Tse you will find plenty of references to her papers. This is someone we should have been eager to welcome into our society and who would make a positive contribution to our scientific community. The worst resource you can waste is a human resource.
In December she was sent home…
Sigita volunteered at Asylum Link Merseyside in 2006-7.
