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Dornoch Cathedral minister picks up Church asylum award


By Staff Reporter

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Dornoch Cathedral Minister the Very Rev Dr Susan Brown, former Moderator of the General Assembly, has been instrumental in winning a top award for the Church of Scotland.

Dr Brown championed a high-profile and ultimately successful campaign to prevent the deportation of two teenage brothers, who were seeking asylum.

The campaign – aimed as “righting what seemed so wrong” – was led by Rev Linda Pollock, minister of Possilpark Parish Church in Glasgow.

And the efforts the two women went to were recognised at the annual Herald Society Awards in Glasgow when the Church won the Campaigner of the Year Award.

The campaign was selected from a shortlist of three finalists.

Ms Pollock and Dr Brown said they were “surprised and delighted” to be recognised for work that led to Somer Umeed Bakhsh (16), and 14-year-old Areeb winning a seven year battle to stay in their adopted home city of Glasgow.

The pair, who have been granted “limited leave to remain” along with their parents, Maqsood and Parveen until February 2022, feared their lives would be in danger if they were sent back to Pakistan where Christians are persecuted.

The family are members of Possilpark Parish Church.

Ms Pollock and her congregation supported them for around five years as they unsuccessfully navigated the UK immigration system.

Eventually Ms Pollock turned to the Church’s communications team for help after the family were denied asylum and told they had exhausted the appeals process.

Both Dr Brown and Ms Pollock attended the awards ceremony in Glasgow last Wednesday.


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