The Ogunwobi Family

EDM number 1347 in 1993-94, proposed by Diane Abbott on 20/06/1994.

That this House notes with deep concern the plight of Sunday Ogunwobi, a respected church leader and school governor and his family ofa wife and three children who are in sanctuary in Downs Baptist Church, Hackney, having been under notice of deportation since 16th March 1994, despite living 13 years in the United Kingdom; notes the deep concern shown by many members of the local community at the deeply damaging effect any removal to Nigeria will have on the health and education of the family's children; welcomes Hackney Council's unanimous all-party vote to support the family; notes the support given to the family's case by local church leaders such as the Bishop of Stepney and national church leaders like Reverend David Coffey, General Secretary of the Baptist Union; deplores any suggestion of breaking into the church; notes the warnings of the damage to community relations of any such suggested action; and in the International Year of the Family, calls on the Government to exercise compassion and discretion in the matter and lift the deportation order and grant indefinite leave to remain.

This motion has been signed by a total of 91 MPs.