News of refugees and deportations can seem very far away from life in Hay, but occasionally something happens that demonstrates the sort of ties people in Hay have with international events. Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees has been very active, organising days out in the countryside for refugees living in Swansea, but sometimes helping refugees means doing a little bit more than offering them a nice day out.
Otis Bolamu is an asylum seeker from the Republic of Congo. He was a government employee there, and also active in one of the main opposition groups to the government. When he was accused of spying for the opposition, he knew his life was in danger, and he fled the country, ending up here in Wales. At the moment, official government advice is not to travel to the Republic of Congo, due to political unrest, state violence and a deteriorating human rights situation.
Otis hasn't been idle while he was waiting for his claim to be processed - although asylum seekers are not able to get a job, he became a volunteer at Hay Festival, and in Swansea he has been volunteering at an Oxfam shop.
And then he was refused leave to remain in the UK. He appealed against that decision, but he was taken into detention by immigration officers just before Christmas - they planned to send him back to the Congo on Christmas Day.
On Facebook there has been a petition going round to allow Otis to stay here, supported by Hay Festival, and at the moment he is still in this country, thanks to the work of Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees, Oxfam and churchgoers in Swansea, the opposition group Apareco in the Congo, and various concerned MPs and lawyers.
This is only a temporary reprieve, but Otis and his lawyers are preparing a fresh case to allow him to remain in the UK.
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