Jean Baptiste Foukong Bassime is currently in detention facing removal to Cameroon for a 3rd time on 2nd August 2009 - KQ101 to Nairobi, then KQ524 to Cameroon (flight carrier is Kenya Airlines). He fled Cameroon in 2007 to seek sanctuary because of persecution and abuse suffered at the hands of the authorities because of his ethnic group. It would appear that the UKBA and courts have not given due consideration to Jean-Baptiste's account of being a victim of torture and violence attributed to his race (the Cotier ethnic group). He is also a survivor of sexual violence. Friends of Jean Baptiste are concerned about the fate that would await him if he is sent back to Cameroon. President Biya took charge of Cameroon's government in 1982. Since then, figures from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund reflect the decline of Cameroon's economy from a middle-income to a highly-indebted poor country. Unemployment is, officially, above 40%. For the last two years, Cameroon has ranked as the most corrupt country on earth according to international watchdog Transparency International. Jean Baptiste would suffer discrimination as he did before on basis of his ethnicity (he is from Cotier tribe and that people from this group suffer a lot of discrimination in Cameroon, especially social and employment discrimination). Jean Baptiste himself is traumatised by the past suffering and being in UK detention at present has only worsened his health and fears. The Home Secretary should personally consider all factors in this particular asylum claim, and give proper and fair consideration to the medical evidence and torture account which UKBA have so far failed to do in their decision-making process. Jean-Baptiste should not be sent back to Cameroon on humanitarian grounds, and he should also be given the chance to have legal representation to present his asylum case adequately to the Home Secretary / Courts before any decision concerning forced removal.

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