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A-levels star faces deportation to Democratic Republic of Congo
An orphan who passed his A-levels with flying colours may now be forced to leave the country. Asylum seeker Christian Bola, 18, came to Britain three years ago after government-backed militia in the Democratic Republic of Congo killed his parents.
- Evening Standard
- Published: 00:00 August 19, 2006
London: An orphan who passed his A-levels with flying colours may now be forced to leave the country.
Asylum seeker Christian Bola, 18, came to Britain three years ago after government-backed militia in the Democratic Republic of Congo killed his parents.
But his future is in doubt, despite him proving to be one of the brightest pupils in London after achieving three As in just one year.
He said: "My current situation is that I have been refused asylum by the Home Office which I am appealing. I cannot apply to university as I have no status here and I do not have a national insurance number.
"They didn't remove me as I was a minor, but I have since turned 18 so I am very worried that they will want to send me back to Congo."
Christian lives in Edmonton near his school Latymer.
He came to Britain in September 2003, eight months after his life was shattered one night when soldiers raided his home. They captured Christian, along with his mother and his father, a former bodyguard to the president.
Christian said they locked him up in a cell and his parents were taken away. It was the last time he would see them.
"I was kept in a separate cell. After a few days a guard helped me escape, but I was scared to go back home, so I went to see my pastor."
The pastor discovered that his parents had been killed. After a month, the pastor decided Congo was unsafe for him, and put him on a Heathrow flight. But immigration officials here doubted his story.
Enfield council put Christian up in accommodation in Edmonton while his case was assessed.
He enrolled at the College of North East London where he began studying foundation maths and science but found that it was easy compared with the education he had received in Africa. After attending a local church, Christian was offered support from the vicar, who said he could benefit from studying at Latymer school.
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