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Family who fled to Kent to escape Colombian drug cartel have bid for asylum rejected by Home Office

Additional reporting by Finn Macdiarmid

A family who fled to Kent from Colombia after being threatened by a murderous drugs cartel fear they will be killed if a Home Office decision to send them back is not overturned.

Luisa Rodriguez, 37, and her three daughters have been living in a budget hotel room in Ashford since arriving in the UK in 2023.

Luisa Rodriguez is sharing a budget hotel room with daughters Maria, Alejandra and Paula
Luisa Rodriguez is sharing a budget hotel room with daughters Maria, Alejandra and Paula

They left South America after Luisa’s police officer husband refused to work for the notorious Clan Del Golfo gang, sparking a terrifying campaign of intimidation against them.

But their dream of a new, safer life in England has now been shattered after their bid for asylum was rejected by the Home Office in a decision branded “beyond comprehension”.

It has left Luisa and her daughters - Maria,16, and 12-year-old twins Alejandra and Paula - distraught and fearful for their futures.

“I can’t go back,” said Luisa, who is a qualified nurse.

“These people think nothing of killing and I have to prioritise the safety of my children.”

The family enjoying a meal in happier times at their home in Calarcá Quindío, Colombia
The family enjoying a meal in happier times at their home in Calarcá Quindío, Colombia

The family were living in Calarcá Quindío, where Luisa’s husband, Eduardo, was a police officer investigating the Clan Del Golfo - the most powerful drugs cartel in Colombia.

US officials describe the gang as “one of the largest cocaine trafficking organisations in the world”, telling how its leaders order the “ruthless execution of Colombian law enforcement, military officials, and civilians”.

Its members warned Eduardo - a deputy superintendent - that his family would be kidnapped and killed if he did not cooperate with them.

But he refused, leading to threats of murder, his children being chased by men on motorbikes on the school run and shots being fired at their house.

The Colombian authorities acknowledged the dangers but none of the suspects were detained, with the family told to hire its own private security, which they could not afford.

So Luisa and her daughters sought refuge in the UK, where her father, Luis, lives.

“We had a good, happy life,” said Luisa, who worked as an intensive care nurse in Colombia.

“But that all changed when the threats started to come.

“It began with text messages and phone calls to my husband, but then things got a lot worse and very frightening, with gunshots fired at our house.

“I just had to get the children out of the country.”

Luisa headed 5,000 miles to the UK because her father has lived in London for 20 years and holds a British passport.

The Home Office put the family up in a hotel in Ashford, which they share with other asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

The girls now go to school locally, while Luisa – who is not concerned about cartel members tracking the family to their current location – aspires to work for the NHS and is currently supporting a local mother undergoing cancer treatment

But they were dealt a blow on December 31 when their application to remain was rejected, giving them just two weeks to appeal the decision.

Home Office officials say they do not accept the family would be at risk if they returned.

They say Eduardo is no longer directly investigating the cartel – which has photographs of Luisa and the girls – so his family would not be seen as targets anymore.

They believe the family could safely relocate to the Colombian cities of Cartagena, Cali or Barranquilla, with the decision notice stating: “These are considered a reasonable amount of distance to put between yourself and the gang you fear, who will not see you as a target if removed from town.

“The gang’s main motive was to stop your husband from working in the area, which he has done. Based on this, relocation is deemed reasonable as it is unlikely that the gang would still be looking to pursue you if you did relocate.”

But Luisa says the cartel’s tentacles reach far and wide and the cities the Home Office suggests are actually at the epicentre of drug activity.

“It is a big shock to be refused because I know we will face danger if we return,” said Luisa, who has been diagnosed with PTSD because of her ordeal.

Luisa Rodriguez fears she and her three daughters will be killed if they are sent back to Colombia
Luisa Rodriguez fears she and her three daughters will be killed if they are sent back to Colombia
Luisa Rodriguez and husband Eduardo on their wedding day, with their daughters, Maria, Alejandra and Paula.
Luisa Rodriguez and husband Eduardo on their wedding day, with their daughters, Maria, Alejandra and Paula.

“It has affected all our mental health and is causing us sleepless nights.

“I had hoped the Home Office would take the children’s welfare into account and protect them.”

The family’s hopes now rest on an appeal lodged by a solicitor on behalf of Luisa, who is on immigration bail.

She and her daughters are being supported by the village community in Godmersham, which has taken them into their hearts.

Fiona Sunley, whose family owns Godmersham Park, says they first learned of the family’s situation when Luisa’s eldest daughter came to do work experience at the park’s heritage centre.

“It is beyond comprehension that the threatened family of a serving Colombian police officer, whose role helps reduce the availability of Class A drugs on our streets, should be denied the right to remain,” she said.

“My family, the Godmersham Park team and our local community have enjoyed the enormous privilege of getting to know this beautiful and talented family throughout their visits with us in the last year and have taken them into our hearts and homes.

“The threat of violence against the children, unless their father starts to assist the drug cartels, means remaining in the UK is the family’s only option.

“The family has no wish to live off benefits, but to make a contribution to this country.

“We hope that in the appeals process the Home Office recognises the very real risks the family faces and reverses their decision.”

Fiona Sunley, of Godmersham Park, is among those in the village supporting the family’s asylum application
Fiona Sunley, of Godmersham Park, is among those in the village supporting the family’s asylum application
Luisa Rodriguez with police officer husband Eduardo and their girls, Maria, Alejandra and Paula.
Luisa Rodriguez with police officer husband Eduardo and their girls, Maria, Alejandra and Paula.

If the appeal is successful, it is hoped Eduardo will join his family in the UK when he is eligible for retirement.

Luisa, who is currently studying three days a week for GCSEs in maths and English, believes she could be an asset to the NHS if allowed to stay.

“I have 15 years experience and want to work, not live off benefits,” she says.

“The girls are learning English and doing well in school, despite suffering some bullying.

“Everyone has been so kind and supportive and we want to make a new life here, where we will fit in and contribute to the community.

“We are desperate to stay.”

The Home Office was contacted for a response to the family’s concerns but says it does not comment on individual cases

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