A Gujarati couple, Bhavisha and Pinakin Patel were looking forward to having their 10-day dream holiday to the UK, until they were sent to Yarl's Wood, a British immigration detention centre, as the officials believed that they intended to stay in the UK.
The couple had arrived from Gujarat on visitors' visas. Bhavisha Patel had brought copies of her qualifications along with her to the UK as she was uncertain of what documents may be required from her while entering Britain. The guards from the UK Border Agency took this as a sign that they were planning to stay in the UK and seek employment; hence, refusing their entry at Heathrow airports and detaining them at Yarl's Wood.
After a month of being kept at the detention centre, the couple had offered to return back to India but they were refused, saying that they would be detained until the their case had been processed.
However, this nightmare became more traumatic for Bhavisha as her 33-year-old husband died in detention centre on 20th April 2015, after having to wait 15 minutes for medical care, when in fact help medical facilities were nearby.
Anthony Gard, from the Movement for Justice campaign group stated, “He [Pinakin Patel] collapsed very suddenly as far as we know... it took 15 minutes for healthcare to get there which is quite long considering it is in the same building.”
Gard went on to reveal, “I've had some reports that he had been complaining previously about pains... this is one of the things that people who were in other units were telling me.”
The fellow detainees were unnerved by the authorities for keeping Bhavisha Patel in the detention centre, despite her husband passing away. They went on a hunger strike, to protest and to affirm her release from Yarl's Wood.
Bhavisha Patel has been released and following the affliction, she is staying with her relatives in Wembley.
