A Nigerian mother who claims her two small daughters will have their genitals mutilated if they are deported back to Lagos has had a temporary reprieve, but remains in an immigration centre.
Afusat Saliu, 31, and her two daughters Bassy, four, and Rashidat, two, were detained on Wednesday and were due to fly to Lagos on a Virgin Atlantic flight last night. A social media storm followed, with Virgin owner Richard Branson bombarded with tweets and accused of hypocrisy because the company has previously campaigned on female genital mutilation.
Lawyers acting for Saliu launched an application for judicial review in a last-ditch attempt to keep her in Britain, and the family have remained in Britain overnight.
The trio were first taken to Sheffield, then to Cayley House near Heathrow, where they spent Wednesday night, and were moved again late on Thursday to Cedars detention centre near Gatwick.
(via The Independent)
