This letter, signed by a group of Ugandan Asian women in 1973/4, requests government permission for their husbands to join them in Britain. (HO 289/90)
Transcript
Newspaper Article -Possibly The Times.
Refugee Wives.
From Mrs Sunibalu Modhwadia and others,
Sir, We are British wives of husbands who have been separated from us by a cruel and inhumane political decision. We see little hope for our own future or that of our families as things stand at present. It is to the decency of the British people and their Government, so obvious to us since we arrived in Britain a few weeks ago, that we now appeal. We know that many Ugandan Asian wives and children in resettlement camps throughout Britain share our plight and our fears for the future, and we think we can speak for all of them.
A few weeks ago we were forced to leave Uganda and leave our husbands behind us there, because they were either Uganda citizens or had suddenly become “stateless”, Those of our husbands who are “stateless” are now somewhere in Belgium, Austria or Italy, in refugee camps and with little hope of being able to leave them. They are not able to live and work in those countries- they are in United Nations refugee camps which happen to be on the soil of these countries. Those of our husbands who became Uganda citizens a few years ago (renouncing their British citizenship to keep their jobs) are now being taunted and tormented by President Amin’s daily more unpredictable decrees.
We appeal to British wives and mothers: try to imagine our misery and anguish as we sit from day today wondering what will ever happen to us, and when we will ever see our husbands again, when our children will know that they still have a father.
We appeal to British people: we do not wish to live off the state any longer, but while our husbands are refused admission to Britain, there is little hope of most of us being able to work. Only some of us are competent in English, and most of us are trying to raise families of young children. Our husbands on the other hand are working men of all skills and professions.
We make a desperate appeal to the Home Secretary: please try to consider our miserable plight and save us by allowing our husbands (a relatively small number) to come to Britain and support us. Help us to make our lives worth living again,
Yours sincerely,
Sunibalu Modhwadia, Gunavanij Himatlal Thakkar, Habiba S. Kherani, Zadinakhanu S. Allibali, Manjula C. Jobanputra, Nirmala M. Popat, Dolate Khanu Ladhani, Hiraben Laxmidas Popat, Sarojbala S. Popat, S.S. Mohammed, Shaker P. Shivji, Pushpayati R Patel, Sharla M. Patel, Gulabanu , Hansaben Kantilal Dayabhai, Laxmiben Nanalal Bhatt, Roshankhanu M. Virani, Zerabanu Janmohamed Makhani, Jayaben J. Patel, Rabia Begum, Aruna Manhar, Jaroj Gokani, Urmila Gokani, Narbada Vithaldas. Uganda Resettlement Centre, Lingfield, Surrey.