Illegally detained by UK immigration, Indian woman gets justice after 3 years

A foreign trip to meet her family turned into a harrowing experience of human rights violation for a housewife from Gujarat 33yearold Radha Naran Patel was bullied coerced illegally detained and imprisoned turning what was lsquointended to be a family visit of a lifetimehellip into a nightmare of unimagined proportionsrsquoRadha was flagged down by an immigration officer who believed that she had to come to UK to work Representation picGetty ImagesRadha who lives with her inlaws in Godpar with her two children had planned a fivemonth visit to meet her parents and siblings who have been living in UK since 2003 Her parents and sister are British citizens and her brother was on an indefinite leave in the UK Radharsquos husband works in SeychellesRadharsquos trip was sponsored by her sister who works as a seamstress and lives with the family in Harrow London With her sixmonth visa Radha landed at Heathrow excited to meet her family However she was flagged down during her interview by an immigration officer IO who believed that her intention to come to UK was to work for her sister The 33yearold was then taken to the questioning chamber where she was grilled for several hours and subsequently placed in detentionA long tortureRadharsquos alleged intention to work with her sister formed the basis of further interrogation and harassment Radha who did not understand much of English or Hindi was not provided a Gujarati translator during her preliminary interview Being a simple housewife she was not aware about the jargon that the IO used during the interviewsThe notes scribbled at the back of her landing card reads ldquoWould help her sister sew curtains at home She will get paid not sure how muchrdquo However the scribbles didnrsquot name the officer who interviewed her During her trial Justice Anthony Thornton said that the scribbled notes ldquodid not explain the nature of help or the payment she may receive or if there was any direct link between the twordquo The judge noted that the fact that she was being sponsored by her sister could be the reason for Radha to help her outWhile she was detained at 530 pm the first official record of her interview is at 1030 pm During the time Radha alleged she was interrogated several times in a lsquohostile environmentrsquo and a lsquobullying mannerrsquo Radharsquos brother who had come to pick her up was unaware until midnight when he was also briefly interviewed in an lsquoaggressive and hostile mannerrsquo He was then informed that his sister would be placed in detention ldquoThe experience was scary as I did not know why my sister was being heldrdquo said her brother He decided to hire an immigration lawyerldquoThe law allows broad powers to IOs However the issue was how the legal powers were used against my clientrdquo informs Urvi Shah an Ahmedabadborn immigration lawyer who took Radharsquos case Between May 23 and May 29 Radha was placed behind bars first in Colnbrook detention centre and then in Yarlrsquos Wood The judge noted ldquoShe was transferred without warning and kept on permanent frightrdquoWhile Radha had planned her UK visit for five months she could not return to India for ten months as her passport was impounded ldquoMy young children were without their mother and my aged inlaws had to take care of themrdquo recalled Radha After her return she pursued the case which took over two years to come to the High Court in London on October 2013Calling the case ldquoa monstrous series of miscarriages of justicerdquo and ldquoa precautionary talerdquo Justice Thornton awarded Radha pound110000 in damages and pound15000 in exemplary damages approx R125 crore While justice has been served the Home Office has planned to appeal again and Radha will not be paid any compensation till then