December 27, 2002	Friday	Shawwal 22, 1423

BIRMINGHAM, Dec 26: A family of Afghan asylum seekers deported to Germany are considering an appeal against a ‘barbaric’ ruling which has barred their return to Britain.

They were told that although their removal from Birmingham Mosque — where they had taken refuge — and the UK had proved traumatic, it was “a necessary part of an effective immigration policy”.

Dismissing their appeal, which had been granted by the High Court, at the Immigration Appellate Authority, adjudicator Judith Davidson described the family head Farid Ahmadi as “singularly untruthful”.

She said the family’s claims that they had been tortured in Afghanistan were fabricated and complaints of poor conditions in German asylum camps exaggerated. “I do not accept that there was any direct attack on the family. I find that he was not tortured as described.”

The ruling, made on Christmas eve, was welcomed by the Home Office which accused the family’ of abusing Britain’s asylum laws.