Lydia Besong

Lydia  was persecuted in Cameroon as a result of  her peaceful political activities on behalf of the English-speaking minority in the country, and was imprisoned and raped in prison. She fled here with her husband Bernard Batey and sought asylum. Since arriving in the UK she has written three plays, one of which, How I Became an Asylum Seeker, was performed in London in 2010 at an event produced by Women for Refugee Women and hosted by Juliet Stevenson. Another is currently in rehearsal with a performance scheduled for March.

Lydia and Bernard were taken into detention on 10 January 2012 even though they were still awaiting a decision from the Home Office on a protection claim filed in October last year. Prior to being detained, neither the couple nor their legal representatives had been told that this claim had been refused. Lydia and Bernard were given removal orders for 21 January, despite very real fears that they will face further persecution if returned. Although this removal order was lifted after a huge outcry, we will continue to campaign for Lydia until she is safe and granted leave to remain in the UK.

A letter expressing support for Lydia Besong has been sent to Home Secretary Theresa May signed by more than 30 leading writers and actors, including Monica Ali, Alan Ayckbourn, Joan Bakewell, Nick Hornby, Helena Kennedy, Caitlin Moran, Michael Morpurgo and Juliet Stevenson - click here for the letter and full list of signatories. Our campaign for Lydia has been covered in the Guardian, BBC Woman's Hour, and extensively throughout local media in Bedfordshire, Manchester, Lancashire and Liverpool.   

Natasha Walter, director of Women for Refugee Women and author of The New Feminism and Living Dolls, said, “Lydia’s courage and creativity is a real inspiration for those standing up to oppression.  It is shocking to see how she has struggled to get a fair hearing in the UK asylum process.”

Gillian Slovo, novelist and president of English PEN, said, “On behalf of English PEN, I urge the government to stop Lydia’s deportation as well as the deportation of her husband to a country that continues to use force to silence its critics.”

Juliet Stevenson, actress, said: “Lydia Besong is an incredibly courageous woman who has put her head above the parapet to talk about her experience and write her plays. This country should not send her back to a situation where she could be in very real danger.”

Michael Morpurgo, author of War Horse and ex-Children’s Laureate, said:  “How this country treats  asylum seekers is the measure of what kind of people we are. Lydia was oppressed in Cameroon. That there is risk she will be imprisoned and abused again seems undeniable.  That she is extraordinarily brave in her stand against oppression is clear.  And that her talents would be of great value to us as a citizen in our society would seem to be obvious.  On these grounds, I would ask, beg, the Home Secretary,Theresa May, to look again, think again, and allow this remarkable woman the right to stay here and live amongst us.”

If you would like to join Lydia's supporters, you can send messages of support for Lydia to us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. We are in constant contact with her and she feels strengthened by the number of people who are standing in solidarity with her.

You can also write to the Home Secretary, Theresa May, asking her to look again at Lydia Besong and Bernard Batey's claim for protection and asking her not to send them back to a country where they would be in danger. A template letter is available here - please copy any letters to us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Thank you for supporting Lydia.

Lydia Besong and Juliet Stevenson at Women for Refugee Women’s production of How I Became an Asylum Seeker at the Riverside Studios, London;
photo Hannah Maule-ffinch