Member's statement: Khan Family: Deportation
Member's statement by Mr Gerry Carroll on .
- MLA
- Mr Gerry Carroll
- Party at the time
- People Before Profit Alliance
- Date
- 3 June 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Khan Family: Deportation
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4985722
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Thanks, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. Yesterday, I met a constituent of mine Saira Khan, who I have known for many years and who has lived in West Belfast for around 10 years. Despite that and the contribution that she and her family have made to the community in the west and beyond, her brother and mother face deportation to South Africa against their wishes and needs and despite having submitted all the documentation and information asked of them by the Home Office. Both face a really disturbing situation of state violence and displacement. In less than two weeks, both face deportation. To be unequivocally clear, the family lives here. It wants to remain here, it contributes to here and it wants to stay. I say this directly to the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer: intervene and put a stop to this appalling situation, which will see those people's lives upended and the relationships that they have built torn apart by the Home Office and the British Government. You are supposed to be a human rights lawyer: show some interest in human rights for the Khan family and everybody else who is affected by this situation. I have submitted a question for written answer to the First Minister and deputy First Minister on the issue. They need to intervene to support and protect the Khan family. This is an appalling act of injustice, and the Justice Minister cannot turn her head and close her ears to it. It is clear that Ministers need to act to stand up for this family. The British Government need to reverse their decision as well. The community is not waiting by. Participation and the Practice of Rights has organised a defence protest this Friday at 12.00 noon outside the family home at Colinview Street, off the Springfield Road. I encourage everyone who is interested in standing against displacement and state violence to come, show support and stand side by side, shoulder to shoulder, against this appalling act of violence and in support of this family.
339 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.12 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.83).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.93).
- Subject area: Immigration, asylum, race, ethnicity and Travellers.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.09 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.07 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.83 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.12 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.93 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.07 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Immigration, asylum, race, ethnicity and Travellers | 1.00 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:45 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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