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Refugee found dead at bridge

Damon Wilkinson
19/ 9/2006

AN asylum seeker found hanged from a bridge had had his application to stay in the UK rejected just a month earlier, friends have claimed.

The body of Congolese refugee Paul Kiese was discovered by police under a bridge over the River Spodden near Rooley Moor Road on 3 September.

A friend told the Observer that Paul, of Holland Street, had been 'under pressure' ever since he lost his final appeal.

Fellow asylum seeker Andy Ngongo, of the same address, said Paul, aged 31, had spoken about killing himself on numerous occasions.

Mr Ngongo, aged 44, became friends with the Mr Kiese when he arrived in Rochdale from Blackburn about five months ago.

He added: "Getting a refusal really affected him and he started to feel under pressure. For him asylum was the last chance in his life.

"He felt nobody apart from the government could help him to rebuild his life. He told me he may kill himself and he told lots of other people the same thing.

"I was quite sure he was serious and I told him never, ever do that because while you are alive there is a chance. But he told me there was nothing else he could do.

"Once they rejected his appeal Paul had no money and wasn't allowed to work. He had no money to live, I gave him food. He was a quiet person, but he had an objective in his life - to gain asylum.

"I was very, very sad because he was my friend and now he is dead. The whole Congolese community in Rochdale is crying because he was our brother."

A police spokeswoman said: "Officers discovered the body of a man believed to be 31years old. There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and the case has now been passed to the coroner."

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We do not comment on individual cases, but each asylum claim is judged on its merits and the appeals process is overseen by an independent panel.

"If the appeal fails that person has no legal right to be in the UK and we will actively seek to remove them."


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Most recent 2 of 14 user comments

   In response to Mr Henry Kelly (Ex Pat) I would like to correct you on a matter if I could. From my personal experience as a Social Worker working with 'Failed Asylum Seekers' otherwise termed as 'Living Ghosts' I have not yet met one who has mentioned claiming benefits. The people with whom I have had the pleasure of working, appear to have a burning desire to work and live with dignity the way they did before fleeing their countries. It is the government who prohibits this and housing and social care in order that life will be so difficult that these human beings will return home to the country they left. Unfortunately, even after being offered large sums of money by the government to return, and I refer to 4 figure numbers on some occasions, many have not taken up this offer and continue living in dire, unhabitable circumstances. I wonder why that is Mr Kelly. Is this not similar to what the Germans had in mind for the Jews? ethnic cleansing and the perfect race? and were the British Soldiers not up in arms about it? Julie Kelly Rochdale
Julie Kelly, Rochdale
1/10/2006 at 11:57
   I have just read the story of this tragic death and feel Disgusted that in this society people are forced to do this. I am a social worker and have much experience in the plight of many 'failed asylum seekers' otherwise termed 'Living Ghosts' and the lives they are forced to live after complete refusal are worse than any other situation I have ever encountered. This government make life so difficult i.e. making work, housing and social care prohibited that they will be forced to return home. The problem is however, that many of these human beings no longer have homes, at least where they can guarantee life. I think that this man must have felt that suicide was the best option and who knows, maybe he was right.
Julie, Rochdale
1/10/2006 at 11:41
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