Family fret for Somali

By THERESA GARNER

Southlander Alan Dunlop has two enduring memories of Somali man Abdikarim Ali Haji, both shot through with fear and panic.

The first is on a family holiday when Mr Haji capsized in a kayak near Queenstown and nearly drowned.

The second is the sight on the evening news of a shirtless and shouting Mr Haji being bundled into Auckland Airport for deportation to his lawless homeland.

Within two hours of being made to leave for good, a court order kept Mr Haji in New Zealand.

Mr Dunlop, a man who rolls his Rs and supervises a woolstore, seems an unlikely ally for the 28-year-old Mr Haji.

But the Muslim man who still faces being the first Somali to be removed from New Zealand was part of Alan Dunlop's family for a time.

Mr Haji arrived in New Zealand five years ago, and about three years later began dating the Dunlops' teenage daughter after meeting her in a nightclub. He even moved into the family's Invercargill home.

He went on family holidays, riding up the gondola and down the luge at Queenstown, and made friends wherever he went, Mr Dunlop said.

At one point Mr Haji had to be rescued after he overturned a hire kayak.

"Luckily some of the family were out there close to him.

"He is a very nice person. He is very happy-go-lucky and easy to get along with."

Mr Dunlop said he was disgusted that Mr Haji was being sent back to Somalia.

"It came as a complete bloody shock to see him dragged out ... "

His daughter had stayed friends with Mr Haji and was "very upset". She had started crying during the TV news item.

It was not the only shock - Mr Haji had told the family that he was 19 years old, but Mr Dunlop said he bore no hard feelings.

"There are no bad aspects to his character. He worked hard when he was down here. He didn't like being unemployed."

While in Southland, Mr Haji worked as a halal butcher at a freezing works.

Mr Dunlop said he did not know why Mr Haji was refused asylum, but assumed his skills did not fit immigration requirements.

"It could be related to 9/11 and him being a Muslim."

He said the young man had told them of seeing his friends killed in Somalia.

"It's absolutely bloody shocking. There is no Government there.

"He comes from a weaker tribe. It's a place where the stronger tribes go around killing the weaker ones.

"If he went back there he wouldn't live for long. He probably would kill himself before he got there rather than face it.

"He's very desperate."

Mr Dunlop said the family had asked Mr Haji's supporters to pass on a message to him in prison. But the Southlander did not think there was much he could do.

"I rang up Parliament last night, trying to get someone in there, but that was useless."

A High Court judge has granted an interim order that Mr Haji not be removed until the United Nations High Commission for Refugees issues a report on returning people to Somalia.

Mr Haji's lawyers say the United States, Britain and Australia all have policies that it is not safe to return anyone to Somalia.