FIZELL

Born in Kinshsa in the Congo, Fizell grew up like any other child in the area. He was educated to university level until the universities and schools were closed down by the government.

Fizell felt this to be totally unjustifiable and together with others who sympathised formed a cultural group that expressed the importance of education and the need for it.

Groups of this nature had to have permission to meet if the total number of people involved amounted to five or over. Again Fizell felt this unjustifiable and continued to hold meetings in his parent's home, naively many of these meetings took place in the garden. It was not long before he was reported and a visit from a council official took place. He was told to stop.

Sometime later a conference was to take place; the over-riding theme was that President Mubuto's action in respect of education was immoral. The organisers urged the people attending to go and broadcast this to others and instil in them the importance of education and the need for it to be available to everyone.

Fizell did just this, he spoke to individuals and discovered other groups who were the equivalent of his and he began to attend their meetings. After just four of these meetings he was arrested.

Bribery of a prison guard proved the only means of escape for Fizell. He now needed to leave the country, Angola was considered as a possibility, although it was then dismissed due to the uncertainty and fighting that was taking place. It was decided to head for Belgium.

He arrived in Belgium and as he spoke French was directed across into France where he claimed asylum. This claim was refused, however, although he was told to leave this was not enforced. Fizell realised that he could not remain in France and so brought himself a ferry ticket and headed for Dover.

Arriving in Dover he claimed asylum and was promptly detained by the authorities. Fizell did not try to hide the fact that he had claimed in France. British immigration verified his story with the French immigration authorities, it was agreed that in both asylum claims he was telling the same story.

He was detained for two months before immigration decided that he must be returned to France. Arriving back in France he was again questioned by their immigration service. They decided that as he had been in England for two months that he should return there and pursue his claim for asylum.

Less than twenty-four hours later Fizell found himself back on British soil and back in detention, the date January 1994.

Nine months later he was released on bail, his only crime asking for asylum.

In June 1995 he was granted status.

Today he has a wife, a woman from the Congo who he met in England, they have one child.

He is employed as an assistant manager for a housing charity that finds homes for the homeless.

'I want freedom, the freedom to study, the freedom to live, to raise my child in peace and for my child to receive an education'.

Born in Kinshsa in the Congo, Fizell grew up like any other child in the area. He was educated to university level until the universities and schools were closed down by the government.

Fizell felt this to be totally unjustifiable and together with others who sympathised formed a cultural group that expressed the importance of education and the need for it.

Groups of this nature had to have permission to meet if the total number of people involved amounted to five or over. Again Fizell felt this unjustifiable and continued to hold meetings in his parent's home, naively many of these meetings took place in the garden. It was not long before he was reported and a visit from a council official took place. He was told to stop.

Sometime later a conference was to take place; the over-riding theme was that President Mubuto's action in respect of education was immoral. The organisers urged the people attending to go and broadcast this to others and instil in them the importance of education and the need for it to be available to everyone.

Fizell did just this, he spoke to individuals and discovered other groups who were the equivalent of his and he began to attend their meetings. After just four of these meetings he was arrested.

Bribery of a prison guard proved the only means of escape for Fizell. He now needed to leave the country, Angola was considered as a possibility, although it was then dismissed due to the uncertainty and fighting that was taking place. It was decided to head for Belgium.

He arrived in Belgium and as he spoke French was directed across into France where he claimed asylum. This claim was refused, however, although he was told to leave this was not enforced. Fizell realised that he could not remain in France and so brought himself a ferry ticket and headed for Dover.

Arriving in Dover he claimed asylum and was promptly detained by the authorities. Fizell did not try to hide the fact that he had claimed in France. British immigration verified his story with the French immigration authorities, it was agreed that in both asylum claims he was telling the same story.

He was detained for two months before immigration decided that he must be returned to France. Arriving back in France he was again questioned by their immigration service. They decided that as he had been in England for two months that he should return there and pursue his claim for asylum.

Less than twenty-four hours later Fizell found himself back on British soil and back in detention, the date January 1994.

Nine months later he was released on bail, his only crime asking for asylum.

In June 1995 he was granted status.

Today he has a wife, a woman from the Congo who he met in England, they have one child.

He is employed as an assistant manager for a housing charity that finds homes for the homeless.

'I want freedom, the freedom to study, the freedom to live, to raise my child in peace and for my child to receive an education'.

This Page was last updated: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 at 1:55:55 PM
This page was originally posted: 26/2/03; 1:39:16 pm.
Copyright 2004 Thanet Refugee Access