British Prime Minister Theresa May intervenes to prevent deportation of woman who fears daughter faces FGM
A report released last week disclosed that more than 9,000 attendances to NHS services in England in 2016 involved the identification or treatment of FGM
British Prime Minister Theresa May has intervened to halt the deportation of a woman who claimed that her three-year-old daughter would face female genital mutilation if they returned to Nigeria.
The decision to refuse Lola Ilesanmi’s application to remain in the UK has been withdrawn and the prime minister has ordered Brandon Lewis, the immigration minister, to personally oversee a review of her case.
Ilesanmi, 29, alleged that she was beaten, forced to have an abortion and had her face “smashed with an iPad” by her estranged husband because of her refusal to subject their daughter to FGM. He has denied the allegations.
May wrote a letter to Ilesanmi’s MP, Hannah Bardell of the Scottish National party, stating that she regarded FGM as “abhorrent” and that Amber Rudd, the home secretary, had heard her account.
In her letter, the prime minister said: “FGM is a crime, it is child abuse and will not be accepted in this country. This government will not tolerate a practice that can cause extreme and lifelong physical and psychological suffering to women and girls.
This government takes the issue of FGM very seriously and remains committed to ending FGM within a generation
“I made my commitment to end this practice clear during my time as home secretary ... This government takes the issue of FGM very seriously and remains committed to ending FGM within a generation.”