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Hello everyone,
I'm Furaha Asani: a UK-based public academic, mental health advocate, and writer. As some of you may know, I have been living under the threat of deportation from the UK since August 2019, due to what I (and my lawyers) believe was an unjust decision to deny me a visa by the UK Home Office. I am grateful for financial help through this crowdfund of which an additional £4000 I am raising will enable me to continue my fight against the Home Office’s decision to deport me.
Background
In March 2020, my friends started a crowdfund for me on GoFundMe (now closed, here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/legal-defense-to-keep-dr-furaha-asani-in-the-uk), with the fees for my legal expenses being raised within 24 hours. I am so grateful to everyone who contributed, and amplified my crowdfund. I want to assure everyone that 100% of that money, and some additional too, went into my legal fees. We all truly believed my case would have been resolved by now, and that those finances would take us through to resolution. My case is still ongoing, the timeline also having been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and now I am out of funds for continued legal representation.
Appeal for more funds
I am in need of renewed support for two main reasons: firstly, there was a need for my legal team to pursue an in-case judicial review which had additional costs associated with it; and secondly, to fund the continuation of my appeal process. This new drive will enable me to pay for what my legal team believes is the final push to close this case with a positive outcome.
What your support means to me and my legal battle
My family's immigration history has always been complex (as I explained in this vlog in late 2019, here: https://vimeo.com/361486438.) My mother and late father arrived in Nigeria as immigrants in the early eighties, where my mother now resides under refugee status (which I have written about previously, here: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/immigration-deportation_uk_5e135885e4b0b2520d256f76.) For the most part, I have largely existed in the world as a precarious migrant.
In October 2019, a kind-hearted Barrister began representing me pro-bono. In early 2020, we included a solicitor and legal caseworker onto my team (both of whom have to be paid.) We are currently still continuing my appeal process, and holding onto hope that we will win. From late-2019 to early 2020, I was forced into unemployment for 5 months as the initial judgment meant I was legally banned from working and accessing healthcare. This caused me to lose my permanent academic post. The ban was lifted in December 2019, and I secured part-time work between February 2020 until November 2020. The past few years have been steeped in financial instability, and I have been dependent on my family and friends for support. In December 2020, I began a full time job once again but the hard truth is I am still unable to cover legal costs without support. I am literally at the beginning of picking myself, my mental health, my career, my finances, and my whole life back up.
What lies ahead
The money I seek to raise will cover my legal representation and serve as a buffer in the event of any unforeseen costs. We are hopeful that this case will be resolved this year, and currently awaiting a listing date. Of the money raised, £600 will go towards paying the costs incurred from the judicial review; £3000 will go towards paying for my solicitor and legal case worker, for at least 10 more hours-worth of time each (the barrister on my team continues to represent me pro-bono.) The rest will serve as a buffer for any additional court administration costs.
My promise is that if ever I am in the financial position to do so, I will sow back finances into those who need it the most. I don’t anticipate an underspend, but anything unused will go to support other migrants struggling within the Hostile Environment.
With many thanks,
Furaha
I'm Furaha Asani: a UK-based public academic, mental health advocate, and writer. As some of you may know, I have been living under the threat of deportation from the UK since August 2019, due to what I (and my lawyers) believe was an unjust decision to deny me a visa by the UK Home Office. I am grateful for financial help through this crowdfund of which an additional £4000 I am raising will enable me to continue my fight against the Home Office’s decision to deport me.
Background
In March 2020, my friends started a crowdfund for me on GoFundMe (now closed, here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/legal-defense-to-keep-dr-furaha-asani-in-the-uk), with the fees for my legal expenses being raised within 24 hours. I am so grateful to everyone who contributed, and amplified my crowdfund. I want to assure everyone that 100% of that money, and some additional too, went into my legal fees. We all truly believed my case would have been resolved by now, and that those finances would take us through to resolution. My case is still ongoing, the timeline also having been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and now I am out of funds for continued legal representation.
Appeal for more funds
I am in need of renewed support for two main reasons: firstly, there was a need for my legal team to pursue an in-case judicial review which had additional costs associated with it; and secondly, to fund the continuation of my appeal process. This new drive will enable me to pay for what my legal team believes is the final push to close this case with a positive outcome.
What your support means to me and my legal battle
My family's immigration history has always been complex (as I explained in this vlog in late 2019, here: https://vimeo.com/361486438.) My mother and late father arrived in Nigeria as immigrants in the early eighties, where my mother now resides under refugee status (which I have written about previously, here: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/immigration-deportation_uk_5e135885e4b0b2520d256f76.) For the most part, I have largely existed in the world as a precarious migrant.
In October 2019, a kind-hearted Barrister began representing me pro-bono. In early 2020, we included a solicitor and legal caseworker onto my team (both of whom have to be paid.) We are currently still continuing my appeal process, and holding onto hope that we will win. From late-2019 to early 2020, I was forced into unemployment for 5 months as the initial judgment meant I was legally banned from working and accessing healthcare. This caused me to lose my permanent academic post. The ban was lifted in December 2019, and I secured part-time work between February 2020 until November 2020. The past few years have been steeped in financial instability, and I have been dependent on my family and friends for support. In December 2020, I began a full time job once again but the hard truth is I am still unable to cover legal costs without support. I am literally at the beginning of picking myself, my mental health, my career, my finances, and my whole life back up.
What lies ahead
The money I seek to raise will cover my legal representation and serve as a buffer in the event of any unforeseen costs. We are hopeful that this case will be resolved this year, and currently awaiting a listing date. Of the money raised, £600 will go towards paying the costs incurred from the judicial review; £3000 will go towards paying for my solicitor and legal case worker, for at least 10 more hours-worth of time each (the barrister on my team continues to represent me pro-bono.) The rest will serve as a buffer for any additional court administration costs.
My promise is that if ever I am in the financial position to do so, I will sow back finances into those who need it the most. I don’t anticipate an underspend, but anything unused will go to support other migrants struggling within the Hostile Environment.
With many thanks,
Furaha
Organizer and beneficiary
Oluwatayo Yetunde Kolawole
Beneficiary