For
Immediate Release:
September 23, 2005
Luke
Friedrich
Minnesota Press Secretary
Senator Norm Coleman
651.645.0323
COLEMAN
SECURES SAFE RETURN HOME OF MINNESOTA GIRL WRONGLY HELD IN
AFRICA
Senator obtains
assurances from U.S. authorities in Kenya that 5 year old
girl and grandmother will be reunited with their family soon
in the Twin Cities
ST. PAUL, MN— After being
detained for over a week by Kenyan Immigration Authorities
who questioned her status as a United States citizen and
threatened to deport her to Somalia, five-year-old Fartuun
Sheikh will be coming home to her family in St. Paul
following the intervention of Senator Norm Coleman’s office.
Fartuun, a U.S. citizen
born in Buffalo, New York who originally traveled to Kenya
to visit relatives with her grandmother in February, was
detained at the Kenyan airport last Thursday, September 15th
when the pair attempted to return to Minnesota. Kenyan
immigration authorities questioned her status as a U.S.
citizen based solely on a passport photo taken when she was
three years old. After being held for several days at a
detention center in the airport, she was moved to a prison
in Nairobi.
In the meantime, Fartuun’s
parents, Naimo Salah and Hussein Sheikh, contacted Fartuun’s
school, which alerted Senator Coleman’s casework staff to
the situation on Friday, September 16th. Coleman’s staff
immediately got involved in the case, meeting with family,
sending several letters to the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi,
making numerous phone calls on behalf of the family and
providing further documents to help verify the identity of
the child in custody. Following these actions, Senator
Coleman personally intervened to speed up the investigation
through a phone call to the Embassy and was informed today
that Fartuun was released from prison today and will be
allowed to return home.
“After so many days of
uncertainty and fear for Fartuun’s safety, it is wonderful
news that she will be returning to her family,” said Senator
Coleman. “Fartuun and her family have been through an
extremely trying ordeal over the past week and I am thankful
to have played a role in helping them put this frightening
ordeal behind them and getting Fartuun home.”
"I am very glad to hear
about the release of my daughter and my mother,” said Naimo
Salah, Fartuun’s mother. “My worry is over. I want to
thank Senator Coleman and his staff. Fartuun would not be
released without the help of the Senator."
Officials at the Embassy
plan to meet with Fartuun on Monday. Exact details
regarding when Fartuun will return to Minnesota have not
been finalized.
###
Luke Friedrich
Minnesota Press Secretary
Senator Norm Coleman
651.645.0323
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