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Success in Post's fight to help refugees stay

A newspaper’s bold stance over the emotive issue of asylum seekers has helped bring a legal victory to a Kosovan family living in the city.

The Mehmeti family first met up with the Post in February when it became clear they faced imminent deportation from the UK after fleeing their home country.

Mr Mehmeti saw his parents shot dead in front of him and paid £10,000 to secure a passage out of Kosovo for himself and his family.

The paper ran a front page story about their plight and backed a campaign launched by the Bristol Defend the Asylum Seekers Campaign, and support quickly grew.

More than 500 readers sent coupons registering their support into the paper’s offices and the Post then followed the family’s legal battle to stay.

Now an independent adjudicator has also agreed they should stay – which they can, unless the Home Office appeals against the finding.

In the judgement the newspaper’s campaign was cited as “relevant and significant”.

Editor Mike Lowe wrote in the newspaper’s comment column: “We all sympathised. We all wanted this family to be allowed to remain here in Bristol.

“We at the Evening Post lent our support to that campaign. It was a small gesture but we were proud to do it.

“We should all guard against misrepresenting asylum seekers.

“It is a phrase which has been unfairly denigrated. It has been tainted and is now used in a derogatory way.

“The Mehmetis ordeal has shown us that we need to look beyond the headlines and regard every asylum seeker as an individual.”

The paper said during the campaign: “The Mehmetis are here in Bristol, living quietly and enjoying being part of the community.

“They have earned the respect and affection of those around them.

“People who know them want them to be allowed to stay, people who have read their story want them to stay.

“The only people who think they should be forced out of Britain are the bureaucrats and the intolerant.”

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