Manchester journalist Mansoor Hassan and his family have won a six-year battle to remain in the UK.
The NUJ and weekly free newspaper the North East Manchester Advertiser have campaigned on behalf of the former investigative journalist and editor of Pakistan’s Crime magazine.
He fled Pakistan in 2002 after being beaten up, receiving death threats and having his house set on fire after uncovering allegations of government and police corruption.
Hassan originally made a claim for asylum in 2002, which was turned down, and with the help of the NUJ he made a new application for asylum and human rights protection to the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate. In 2004 Hassan’s this new claim was turned down again and he and his family were told they should return to Pakistan. Two subsequent appeals were rejected.
However, under new rules, not on the basis of asylum, he has been allowed to remain in the UK in what the Government describes as a legacy case where applicants must prove they have contributed to the community. Hassan had been volunteering as a governor at his children’s school and is a Red Cross volunteer.
Hassan is now hoping to find work publicising human rights abuses and has applied for positions in the communication offices of British Red Cross and Oxfam.
He told Press Gazette. ‘I am very glad. My children will be proud that their dad’s working and that is the most important thing for myself.”
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