Leave to Remain Page #3

Are you scared?

No, no, it just doesn't seem like a

very good idea to go much further.

Omar!

This way.

See you later, Mr Nigel. I am not a child.

I can take care of myself.

It certainly will be the case, but

while you are on a children's

residential trip, we will stick

to the rules and stay together.

Thank you.

What has got into you?

Hey, where is the farm boy?

Head count!

One, two, three, four,

five, six, seven, eight...

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight...

F***ing...

Right, here is what we are going to do.

Omar, I would like you to take this group.

- Follow the path all the way down to Amina.

- Alpha can do this.

I will go with you and search for Abdul.

It is better like this. OK?

We have 2,000 feet to descend.

It will take us over an hour if we walk at 3mph.

So come, let's go.

Stay with Alpha. And follow the path!

Take care, Mr Nigel.

You go this way, I go this way. We

keep in touch by shouting. - Right...

- Abdul!

- Abdul!

Abdul! Abdul!

NIGEL CONTINUES TO SHOU Yah! SHEEP BLEAT.

THUNDER RUMBLES:

Abdul! Abdul!

THEY PAN HE SPEAKS HIS OWN LANGUAGE

TALKING ON RADIO

THEY CHEER:

Abdul? - He is very tired, innit? Alpha?

It's OK, just leave him, he's very tired.

Let him rest.

DRUMMING:

SHOUTING AND ULULATING

RHYTHMIC SHOUTING AND CHANTING

Abdul! Abdul! Abdul! Abdul!

Abdul, Abdul, Abdul!

Abdul! Abdul! Abdul! Abdul!

SHE SCREAMS:

Abdul!

Amina!

- Get out the way.

- Abdul!

Abdul!

- How long has she been here?

- A few months, we think.

We are not sure.

Can you take your top off, please?

It's OK.

OK. It's OK. Get down.

SHE WINCES:

There has been some sort

of operation on her womb.

I need to call the hospital.

You can get up now.

- All right, baby.

- Gently.

That's it.

What are those?

Cigarettes.

Cigarettes.

SHE SPEAKS HER OWN LANGUAGE

Her husband...

and his friends.

Abdul!

Bus! Now!

What is the minimum age for buying

alcohol and smoking tobacco?

Ah, yes. 18 years old.

And also for buying nice fireworks

and renting pornography. And

for staying in the country.

OK.

Sir?

Is Zizidi OK?

She'll be fine.

Don't worry.

Yes.

Presumably you have developed

hair around the groin area

and under the arms?

- Uh-huh.

- Yes.

OK.

Um... any wisdom teeth

coming through at the back?

- I don't know.

- OK.

Um...

...open the mouth.

OK.

Please.

You're fine, sir.

Got something in your pocket there, mate.

- Tie.

- Just take it out, please.

Yeah, OK.

Breathe in, breathe out. What's

the worst that can happen?

Don't answer that.

In your first statement, you

said you were from Nuristan.

Is that correct?

Say yes, don't nod.

Yes.

And then you said you are from Kabul.

Yes.

But now you say you are from the

Gereshk Valley in Helmand Province.

Can I answer in English, sir?

The court-appointed interpreter

is there to assist you.

If you want us to dismiss him, we can,

but I would think carefully

before making this decision.

Omar,

you have changed your story so many times,

I'm struggling to keep up with you.

Just remind me, where you are from today?

Sir, we are defending Omar under Article 8.

It is contended by my client that he

should be granted leave to remain

based on his established private

and family life in the UK.

He has not been to school

here, he has no job.

He was head boy in his madrasa.

Ms Ramires, I'm finding it difficult to understand why

the appellant would not be

an asset to Afghanistan.

May we call on our witness statements.

Bundle 254 DC, your honour?

- Are the witnesses here?

- Yes, your honour.

His girlfriend and his teacher

from somewhere called Paradise.

How long have you been courting?

- What?

- Going out, dating. Together.

- Um... about a year.

- A whole year, that long?

- How many relationships have you had, Chloe?

- Your honour...?

This appears to be an

irrelevant line of questioning.

What languages does Omar speak?

- Afghani and English.

- Afghani? That is a currency, but never mind.

Would you be prepared live with him

if he was returned to Afghanistan?

What, move out of East London?

- No more questions, your honour.

- Any questions, Ms Ramires?

Shall we move on to our last witness?

Nigel Hapgood, please stand.

State your relationship to the appellant.

Omar is part of my family.

He has lived with me since Christmas.

Christmas last year.

His possessions are scattered

throughout my house,

integrated with my life.

So... we share our stuff.

We talk of "our house", "our car".

He knows I get irritated with his

unpunctuality, his dirty clothes.

And... well, we have developed

this game with our loose change.

Whoever leaves it on the table

by the phone has to replace

the smaller denominations

with higher nominations.

So a 5p gets replaced with a 10p,

a 20p with a 50, 50 with 1.

Inevitably these transactions

leave me out of pocket.

Perhaps the highlight of my

day are the dinners we share

where we discuss what has happened to us.

Um... Omar calls me Home Office,

because I ask so many questions.

Too many questions.

So, if this boy is not integrated

with British society...

...well, then, neither am I.

INTERPRETER TRANSLATES

The appellant has relied

on Article 8 of the ECHR,

which I will consider in my judgment.

I recall a House of Lords

decision that stated that

human beings are social

animals, they depend on others.

Their family or extended

family is the group

on which many people most heavily depend...

VOICE FADES AWAY

THEY SPEAK THEIR OWN LANGUAGE

- Thanks for coming, Chloe.

- That's all right. It was exciting.

Ain't got a clue what anyone

was on about, though.

- Respect, Uncle Nigel.

- Thank you.

- OK, Omar?

- Thank you.

- Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

- So what now, Uncle?

Evening, guys.

TV ON IN BACKGROUND

- Right, I'll leave you to say your goodbyes. All this?

- Er, yes.

Cheerio.

'John Terry.

'Here is Essien.'

Oh! Hold that for a second.

'There are not many who

play in midfield like him.'

Abdul!

- Abdul!

- KNOCKING.

Call me, yeah?

CAR DOORS CLOSE:

DOGS BARK:

CAR ENGINE STARTS

Ready?

Ready.

- You got everything you need?

- Mm-hm.

DANCE MUSIC IN BACKGROUND

Whoa, whoa, whoa! You're not wearing that.

- What is wrong?

- It is rank.

- Get this on.

- OK.

Big bum.

SHE CHUCKLES:

- Do you like it?

- Yes, it looks nice.

Do your hair.

- I am not coming.

- What?

Why not?

Whatever.

That is the attitude, girl.

Let's have a drink.

Oh, don't worry about that.

Don't have to do that here.

This is my son, Toby.

VIDEO GAME PLAYS IN BACKGROUND

Omar, Toby. Toby, Omar.

Pleased to meet you.

They don't teach them manners at his college.

Let me show you upstairs.

- This game is called, I Have Never, Ever, Ever. Right?

- Never ever, ever.

Yeah. It goes like this.

I have never, ever, ever,

ever, ever kissed a boy.

- If you have, drink.

- OK.

If you haven't, don't.

Right.

You go first.

I have never, ever smoked.

SHE COUGHS:

I have never, never ever, ever...

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