Heartbreaking letter reveals the cost of a rejected asylum application indy100 indy100 Indy100 logoNewsletter sign upRegister/Sign inTop 100NewsViralPoliticsCelebritiesScience & TechVideoWishlistWishlistBooksFashion & BeautyFood & DrinkHome & GardenKidsSports & FitnessTechTravel & OutdoorsMoreScience & techVideoConversationsSportIdentitiesLifestyleShowbizTVSearchxNews
Heartbreaking letter reveals the cost of a rejected asylum application
Nick Clark (editedMay 03, 2015 Curators installing a London exhibition about migrants found a chilling message written on the back of a portrait of a Kurdish grandfather. It revealed that the man - Hajy Khalil - had been shot dead in Iraq three years after he was denied asylum in the UK. The inscription, written by the Kurdish artist Behjat Omer Abdulla, read: Hajy Khalil was killed by a gunman on 12 February 2013 in Baghdad on his way home. He was refused for his asylum application in the UK. He went to Sweden and was deported from Sweden to Iraq. Abdulla said that the message was “a kind of signature”, and he was glad the curators of the Southbank exhibition “Adopting Britain: 70 Years of Migration”, had found it. Mr Khalil’s story was “tragic” he said, and the portrait was born of an earlier tragedy. Just days after he was deported to Iraq in 2010, Mr Khalil’s three grandchildren were killed by a car bomb.A portrait of Hajy Khalil by Behjat Omer Abdulla, part of his "In Limbo" series “I had met him in Stoke and he was a beautiful person, a really nice guy,” Abdulla said. “When I heard about his grandchildren I really wanted to do something, to do his portrait. I sent it to him and he was really happy with it.” Three years later, Mr Khalil was shot in the head by a gunman on a motorbike. Both the identity of the killer and the motive for the crime remain unknown. When I heard about his death I was completely shocked. At the same time it shows how sometimes the immigration office cannot find out the true story of people’s lives. I was really sad about it. Abdulla does not blame immigration officials for Mr Khalil’s death, however, adding that it is “very difficult to make a decision about someone’s life” after just a few hours in an interview room. “It’s not their fault; it’s something to do with the system. There needs to be a more suitable law.” More: Asylum seekers backlog - what you need to knowKeep reading...Show less US actors Reynolds and McElhenney to be honoured by people of Wales
How will the next prime minister and Tory leader be chosen
Ellis-Bextor to get the party started at new show for Edinburgh s Hogmanay
Please log in or register to upvote this article Top 100
Man endures ' 29 hour flight' with screaming kids for the entire trip
flightplanechildflightOct 12, 2022 How likely is it that Boris Johnson could be prime minister again
Boris Johnsonboris johnsontory leadership contesttory leadership racetory leaderTory leadershiptory leadershipConservativesconservative partyConservative Partyconservative leadership raceconservativesBoris JohnsonOct 21, 2022 The Rocky career of Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnsonthe rockblack adamwweDwayne JohnsonOct 21, 2022 Lorraine Kelly hits out at Madonna' s ' boiled egg' face
madonnamadonnalorraine kellygmbshowbizplastic surgeryOct 11, 2022 Elon Musk is actually selling a ' Burnt Hair' fragrance
elon muskthe boring companyperfumeelon muskburnt hairOct 12, 2022 Jon Stewart slams Arkansas attorney general for her ' anti-trans law'
lgbt+transgenderlgbt+jon stewartapple tvarkansasus newsnewsOct 11, 2022 Just Stop Oil protester praised for ' great' explanation of soup stunt
just stop oilvan goghprotestclimate activistsjust stop oilOct 19, 2022 Couple spark debate for ' scandalous' wedding cake topper
wedding caketiktokwedding cakeviralOct 12, 2022 Love Island star shows extent of how far influencers edit photos
Love IslandOct 11, 2022 Steven Seagal describes Putin as one of ' greatest world leaders'
steven seagalOct 10, 2022 Lizzo wears empowering shirt after being fat-shamed by Kanye West
lizzoOct 10, 2022 A lettuce just outlasted Liz Truss' stint as prime minister
Liz TrussOct 20, 2022 Newsnight guest says ' you can' t treat mortgages like prime ministers'
Liz TrussOct 20, 2022 The best memes about Suella Braverman ' departing' as home secretary
suella bravermanOct 19, 2022The Conversation (0)