16 janv. 2009

Elle a été adoptée, agressée puis déportée

Née en Inde en 1981, Jennifer Haynes a été adoptée à l'âge de 8 ans par les Américains Edward et Melissa Hancox et emmené aux États-Unis en novembre 1989. Maltraitée par son premier père d'accueil, elle a passé par presque 50 foyers d'accueil.
Elle a épousé Justin Haynes en 2002 et a vécu avec lui et leurs deux enfants, Kadafi 5 ans et Kanassa 4 ans, au Michigan. Toutefois, Justin a été condamné pour possession de drogue en 2002 et a purgé une peine de prison. Jennifer a aussi été reconnue coupable dans une affaire de possession illégale de drogues en juillet 2004 et elle était sous probation.

Lorsque son cas a atteint le conseil d'immigration, il a été constaté que les formalités de nationalité ont été laissées incomplètes au moment de son adoption en 1989. Les fonctionnaires ont alors décidé de la déporter en Inde.

Détails dans les articles suivants...

She was adopted, assaulted & deported
(Du site DNA, 15 janvier 2009)

Mayura Janwalkar

Mumbai: Nearly 20 years after she was adopted by an American national, 27-year-old Jennifer Haynes is back in Mumbai, seeking action against the Americans for International Aid and Adoption (AIAA), the agency that had processed her adoption papers.

Speaking to DNA on Wednesday evening, Haynes said, "I was fighting with the immigration authorities in the US. They said that my documentation for US citizenship was unfinished and wanted to deport me. With the Indian government accepting my repatriation, I came back in July last year. Ever since, I have been living in a Chembur hostel."
In her petition, which was mentioned before Bombay High Court on Wednesday, Haynes has sought a court direction to Central Adoption Resources Authority (Cara) to deregister AIAA and other foreign agencies, based in the US and registered with the Indian Government, and stop inter-country adoption until she is sent back to her family.
"For all these years, nobody ever told me that I am not an American citizen. It is because of AIAA that I have landed in this situation," Haynes said.
She has stated in the petition that her adoption process was carried out in violation of the UN Convention onthe Rights of the Child, 1989 and the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Inter-Country Adoption.
Her advocate, Pradeep Havnur, said that the petition had been filed, but it was yet to get a date for hearing.
Born in India in 1981, Haynes was adopted by Edward Hancox, who flew her to the US in November 1989. It was the beginning of a nightmare for her. "I was sexually abused by my first foster father. I changed nearly 50 foster homes, but everywhere the abuse continued. Nobody was willing to accept me," she told DNA.
She married Justin Haynes in 2002 and lived with him and their two children -- Kadafi, 5 and Kanassa, 4 -- in Michigan. "My husband works in a construction company. I used to be a housewife. I talk to my family in Michigan only once in two weeks," said a frustrated Haynes. "I want to be back with my family. I am going crazy here."
Not having the necessary documents, she is finding it difficult to get a job in the city. "Now, I have no means to sustain myself. I am surviving on the money that my mother-in-law sends me," she added.

Fraudulent adoption process lands woman in trouble
(Du site Express India, 16 janvier 2009)

Mumbai: An allegedly fraudulent adoption process carried out by an American agency has landed 27-year-old Jennifer Haynes in trouble after she was deported back to India in July last year.

Haynes, who was adopted by an American twenty years ago, has now moved the Bombay High Court seeking action against the Americans for International Aid and Adoption (AIAA) that had processed her adoption papers.
In her petition she has blamed the AIAA for jeopardising her stay in America as her adoption process was carried out in violation with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989 and the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Inter-Country Adoption. Now, she has asked the court to direct the Central Adoption Resources Authority (CARA) to de-register AIAA and other foreign agencies based in United States and registered with the Indian Government and stop inter-country adoption.
Her petition states that she is also a victim of sexual abuse from her foster father and the abuse continued even after changing several foster homes.
After her adoption in 1989 at the age of eight, she was flown to US where she was ill-treated by her foster father. After going through the abuse and rejection from foster homes she married Justin Haynes, who worked in a construction company, in 2002, and lived with him and her two children Kadafi, 5, and Kanassa, 4, in Michigan.
She was also convicted in 2001 and 2004 for illegal possession of cocaine by the US Department of Justice, but was later deported to India as she was of Indian origin after the Indian government accepted her repatriation through the Board of Immigrant Appeals in the US.
She is now keen to go back to US as she has not seen her children due to imprisonment and subsequent deportation. Haynes, who is currently staying in a Chembur Hostel, is also finding it difficult to get a job as she does not have proper documents and is surviving on the money sent by her mother-in-law.
She is seeking direction from court so as to direct the authorities to place all records and quantify exemplary damages against the parties responsible for their acts of denying her right to life.
She also wants to be deported back to the United States and restore her ties with her two American minor children and her American husband.
Until then she should be accorded the status of being the state guest in India by providing shelter, food and money to bear the expenses, said the court.
“The case will come up for hearing on January 30,” her advocate Pradip Havnur said.

'My foster parents treated me like a slave'
(Du site DNA, 16 janvier 2009)

Mumbai: At just 27, Jennifer Haynes has experienced more than most people her age. In an exclusive interview with DNA, the thoroughbred American talks about being abruptly deported to her place of birth 20 years after she was adopted by an American couple.

Mayura Janwalkar

A traumatic childhood
Born in Mumbai on July 29, 1981, Haynes was adopted as an eight-year-old by US nationals, Edward and Melissa Hancox, and flown to USA in November 1989.
However, her life was far from alright. She alleged that she was sexually abused as a child in her first foster home in Georgia. She then changed home 50 times, spending most of her life in Michigan. "I was abused there as well," she said.
"I did not complain to anyone because I was so young and I didn't even know what exactly sex was."
Haynes studied only till Class 10. "I kept moving from one foster home to another and nobody really cared about me. I was treated like a slave in many homes and not even sent to a public school until the government mandated my foster parents to do so."

Life after marriage
Haynes met her husband Justin through common friends and tied the knot on July 2, 2002, at the age of 21. "My husband is African-American and a year older than I am. He works with my father-in-law in his construction business," she said.
However, Justin was convicted for possession of drugs in 2002 and served a term in prison. Haynes too was convicted in a case of illegal possession of drugs in July 2004 and was under probation. When her case reached the boardof immigration, it was found that her citizenship formalities were left incomplete at the time of her adoption in 1989. The officials then decided to deport her to India.
"I didn't know I was being deported. I didn't even have my passport. I was just asked to pack my stuff and sent to India. I wasn't even allowed to speak to my family. I called them after I reached Mumbai and told them I was deported," she said.

Back to her birthplace
Haynes landed in India on July 2, 2008 -- her sixth wedding anniversary. "I landed in this country, away from my family and with no money. I had nowhere and nobody I could go to."
However, Haynes found a job as an English teacher and was staying at YWCA in Colaba. But after a month, she was shifted to a home for distressed women in Chembur
"I would have started a new life here had it not been for my children back in the US," said a visibly upset Haynes.
"I don't belong here. People treat you differently when you are not like them," she added.
Currently unemployed, Haynes now wants to get a job in a call centre. "I would then be able to have a place of my own. It is difficult for me to sustain myself because my family doesn't send me too much money. They cannot even afford to come down and see me."

Woman adopted by US couple has nowhere to go
(Du site The Times of India, 31 janvier 2009)

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Friday issued notices to the central government and the Central Adoption and Resources Authority (CARA) seeking its response to a petition filed by 27-year-old Jennifer Haines, an Indian adopted by a US about 20 years ago who was sent back to India sans her documents and a nationality.

Advocate Pradeep Havnur, Jennifer's lawyer, said she was sent back on a travel document which was a "mere slip of paper'' and she does not have either her passport of the United States nor of India. He questioned how the Indian government permitted her to enter the country.

The petition, while alleging abuse at the hands of her adoptive father and subsequent foster homes, has also questioned the role of the American agency which facilitated the inter-country and had given the Indian court a solemn undertaking that Jennifer would be taken care of in her adopted home. The HC bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice D Y Chandrachud also issued a notice to the trustee of KUAN-YIN charity trust.

The Centre said it wanted time to file its reply.

Jennifer, who is a mother of two, currently has nowhere to stay and no means to support herself. She wants the HC to get CARA to deregister or ban the Americans for International Aid and Adoptions and similar other agencies which are involved in inter-country adoptions. Jenifer said she also wants to track down her biological mother now that she is in India.

Remarque:

À chaque année, aux États-Unis, on entend parler des adoptés adultes qui font face à la déportation ou qui sont déportés vers leur pays d'origine parce que leurs parents adoptifs ne se sont pas occupés des paperasseries pour leur citoyenneté. Seulement quelques cas sont portés à l'attention du médias. Dans PPL, on documente les cas qui parviennent aux médias.

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