Ann McKechin MP

Labour Member of Parliament for Glasgow North

Panxhi Family - 19 March 2003

Mr Speaker, I am grateful to have the opportunity to raise in the house this evening the case of the Panxhi family and their application for asylum in this country. As you are aware, Mr Speaker, this family currently reside in your own constituency and I know that you are very familiar with the circumstances of their case and have taken a close interest. The family consists of Mrs Valentina Panxhi and her children, Brikena aged 12, Enea aged 9 and Grace born in 2001 when the family had arrived in Scotland. Mrs Panxhi's husband, Edmond was a prominent member of the minority Albanian Monarchist party and had suffered a period of harassment including a number of violent beatings and death threats. In January, 2000 their daughter, Brikena was herself harassed at school by the Secret Services and on another occasion, Mrs Panxhi was stopped in the street by some men and threatened. As these threats intensified, the family went into hiding. Mr Panxhi was arrested in September that year but after his release the family decided that their safety was not secure in their home country and they made plans to escape. Mrs Panxhi, then pregnant with Grace together with the 2 older children left Albania in November with the intention that Mr Panxhi would join them at a later date when he was able to get enough money. There is no doubt in the Panxhi family and to all the many people who have taken an interest in their case that they were in genuine fear of persecution and the threat of violence if they remained in Albania.

Sadly, a short time after Mrs Panxhi and her children had arrived in this country, they were advised that Edmond Panxhi had been killed - it is difficult to imagine how the family must have felt at that time. Strangers in an unfamiliar country, their initial application for asylum refused, terrified of returning to their home and grief stricken at the sudden violent death of their beloved husband and father. But it was their resilience and courage in facing up to this tragic news that has so impressed the many, many people in Scotland who support their request to remain here and I very much hope that the Minister even at this very late stage will agree to reconsider her Department's earlier decision. In fact such has been the tremendous response to their plight that a small number of local people in Glasgow went to Albania on a fact finding mission in June last year. They were led by the Rev. Bryan Owen who has just retired after being the Church of Scotland minister at St. Rollox Church for over 30 years and is a very well respected figure in the local Springburn community. They interviewed a larger number of people in Elbasan and Tiranc. They received a great deal of corroboration of Mrs Panxhi's story of the problems the family faced before escaping to the U.K. though I hope the Minister will appreciate it is difficult to discover hard evidence that can be put to a U.K. tribunal or court system. Although they could not prove that Edmond Panxhi was killed for political reasons they were convinced that he was dead.

All those they spoke to who knew Edmond Panxhi, said he was a somewhat secretive person who did not tell others about his business but that he was a very loving and caring man to his family and he could not have remained out of touch with them if he was alive. They were also told by all their Albanian contacts including the Elbasan police that he had absolutely no contact with crime and accordingly had no reason to fake his death.

The Rev. Jones and his colleagues spoke to a number of local people in the small village at Gijnar where the family had hid in 2000. They confirmed the Panxhi family had stayed with them and that during that time, Mrs Panxhi had been terrified of suffering further violence. In particular she had been afraid of Col. Koseni the now discredited Chief of Police in Elbasan. I hope the Minister will accept that the family's motives for leaving Albania were genuine and not economically motivated. As the Minister will be aware although there have been improvements in Albania, widespread corruption and violence are still common. In particular, Mrs Panxhi fears greatly for the safety of her son, Enea. Albania is still blighted by blood feuds where sons are expected to avenge the death of their father, when the son comes to age. The Scottish Executive Justice Minister, Jim Wallace, MSP commented on this case that there was "a very real danger that Enea will himself be murdered by his father's murderers before he comes of age, to pre-empt any revenge he may seek".

As I have mentioned previously, despite the many harsh problems the family have faced over the last few years, their courage and dignity have impressed many. There has been widespread media interest in Birkena's musical talents. Speaking no English when she arrived, she is now bilingual and has an exemplary record at her local school, St. Roch's Secondary. She also now studies violin at the Junior Academy of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama where she was awarded a Wolfson Scholarship last year. And as the member for Banff and Buchan is aware, (I understand he was one of the judges) she was in the final three for Young Achiever of the Year at the Scotsman awards in November, 2001.

Her own violin teacher, Mr Hugh MacGilp who has taught young musicians for over 40 years has written personally to the Home Office on Birkena's behalf. He strongly believes she has the potential to be a professional musician provided she receives the level of support that she currently benefits from - specifically he pointed to considerable gaps in her knowledge when she arrived here from Albania. The Head of the Junior Academy has also written to the Home Office confirming that despite the enormous pressures and uncertainties she faces, she is making excellent progress and is developing a musical ability that will enable her to make a positive and constructive contribution to society in her later life.

If the family were to return to Albania they would meet extreme hardship. They could not expect accommodation or financial help from Mrs Panxhi's family as they are already living under straightened circumstances. Mrs Panxhi would have difficulty in finding work whilst looking after a young baby and in all likelihood, Birkena would have to leave school at the earliest opportunity to earn money, and her musical education would not continue.

A musical talent such as this is a rare gift - I know from my own experience playing a musical instrument not terribly well at school but watching one of my school colleagues developing her skills at the Royal Scottish Academy and going on to become a professional musician. Playing music well is a genuine joy but the talent, particularly for classical players, needs a huge amount of work and practise from an early age.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child speaks about the need to "ensure that children will be able to develop talents and abilities to their fullest potential". Of course, many children in this world sadly never get the opportunity to develop their true talents but to have been given that opportunity and then have it taken away is just as cruel.

Mrs Panxhi and her family have made a real and positive contribution to the local community in Springburn and if they had an opportunity to stay, would seek to be economically independent at the earliest opportunity. They have suffered great trauma in the last few years and only wish to live peacefully and quietly in our city - in Springburn they have experienced some feeling of security but genuinely remain very afraid for their safety if they need to return to Albania at this time.

I thank the Minister for taking further time to consider this case and would ask him to consider the very strong compassionate reasons for allowing this family to remain in the UK - the people of Springburn and Glasgow have welcomed them and ask you now to allow them to stay with us.


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