Thousands want asylum family to stay

8:30am Thursday 24th July 2008

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MORE than 3,000 people have signed a petition to stop a mother and her two daughters being sent back to a war-torn country.

Marie Ntumba and her two young daughters, Chancelle, aged 10, and Christina, aged five, are living in fear of being sent back to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Mrs Ntumba says she will face torture or even death because of her political beliefs.

Mrs Ntumba, aged 52, who is separated from her partner, said she spent a month is prison where she was raped and beaten — and a prison officer helped her to escape in exchange for sex.

The 52-year-old fled the country in 2005 with her two daughters, who now attend St Joseph’s Primary School in Halliwell. The family also lives in Halliwell.

She is now awaiting the result of a claim for asylum.

The petition was handed to Bolton North-east MP David Crausby and will now be presented to Liam Byrne, Minister of State for Borders and Immigration.