The Serykh family, who had claimed asylum in the UK, fell to their deaths from the tower block in which they lived on Sunday 7th March. Their asylum application to remain in the UK had recently been refused and they had been told to leave their flat. SWAN members joined residents, community and faith groups and trade unions in marching from the spot where the family died in Springburn, Glasgow to a rally in George Square on March 13th 2010.
The march, organised by Red Road Residents, the Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees, Positive Action in Housing and the Unity Centre, had two main aims. The first was to remember the Serykh family and call for an immediate end to any further enforced removals of refugee families by the UK Borders Agency. The second was for the immediate return of Stephanie Ovranah and her twin six year old sons, Joshua and Joel, to their friends, neighbours and local church in Glasgow’s Cranhill where they have lived for past five years. The family were detained at Brand Street Reporting Centre without warning last Friday with the children still in their school uniforms. They are currently held in Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre. For more information and to support these campaigns contact elaine.mckenna3@ntlworld.com