Friends join Christian teenagers to halt threat of deportation

Somer Umeed Bakhsh, 15, and his brother Areeb, 13, have lived in Glasgow with their parents Maqsood and Parveen since their family fled Pakistan in 2012 when their father was subjected to death threats due to his Christian faith.

The UK Government has repeatedly rejected the family’s plea for asylum, largely because officials do not believe they would be at risk in Pakistan where blasphemy carries the death penalty.

Almost 85,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Home Office not to deport the family, who are being supported by the Church of Scotland.

Somer, who wants to be an astrophysicist, recently got six As and a B in his National 5 exams at Springburn Academy in Glasgow.

Dozens of pupils from the school joined the boys at the Home Office depot in Glasgow on Wednesday to show their support for the petition.

Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Right Reverend Susan Brown(left-holding box) alongside Areeb Umeed with Rev Linda Pollock alongside Somer Umeed as they are joined by supporters at the Border and Immigration Agency, Glasgow.

Some carried homemade banners reading “We stand with Somer and Areeb” and “Hear our voices we are future of Scotland”.

Somer said: “It’s very nice to see so many people actually supporting us and it shows how much they care.”

Areeb…