A family from Liverpool who fled Pakistan six years ago and are now facing deportation have laid bare fears for the safety of their disabled son.
Liverpool FC fans Wilson and Ruth Mukerjee, and their son Charles, settled in the Kensington area of the city in 2014. The Christian family are well established members of the community.
They sought asylum in the UK as they said their lives were being threatened due to a family feud, the Liverpool Echo reports.
The family said they fear their disabled 24-year-old son - who has the mental age of a five-year-old - could be targeted by bigots in Pakistan, if they are deported.
Charles has epilepsy, anxiety and extreme learning difficulties.
Dad Wilson, who is on the committee of Ullet Road Church Rebels, a football team team for asylum seekers and refugees, said: "In Pakistan, certain people will view my son's symptoms as evidence of witchcraft or possession by an evil spirit.
"They could use this to try and hurt Charles. They might try and set him on fire. They burn so called so called heretics in Pakistan."
The family have been to Liverpool home games when they can. Wilson said: "We take Charles when we can. Sometimes it depends on how his condition is.
"We are all big Liverpool fans and Charles loves Mo Salah. We are happy in Liverpool and don't want to leave."
Wilson explained he and his family are in danger in Pakistan as he had been accused of blasphemy: "Unfortunately I am involved in a dispute back in Pakistan and there have been accusations made against me.
"We are Christians and I have been accused of blasphemy. That makes us all vulnerable to arrest and violent attacks from extremist groups."
The Home Office rejected the family's application for asylum and humanitarian protection in December.
The letter seen by the Echo reads: "I have decided that you have not established a well-founded fear of persecution. I have also decided that you have not shown that there are substantial grounds for believing that you face a real risk of suffering serious harm."
The family have appealed the decision and the case will be considered by a tribunal later this year.
Chris Allen, Ullet Road Church Rebels FC club secretary, said: "They are a proud Christian family that had a comfortable life in Pakistan. But blasphemy is a serious issue that invites the wrath of the state and vigilante groups.
"If convicted, Wilson faces the death penalty. If vigilante groups get to him first, he could be burned alive. As members of the same family, Charles and Ruth are at risk of the same fate too.
"They have spent the last six years living with no money, in poverty and on food charity. They have even been imprisoned; just for being asylum seekers."
Sarah Jones, from Mencap Liverpool and Sefton, said: "Due to his condition Charles will face discrimination in Pakistan. There is a great deal of misunderstanding regarding epilepsy in Pakistan which make him vulnerable to attack.
"It can be seen as a sign or manifestation of an evil spirit. There are horrendous cases of people with these symptoms being stoned to death and thrown down wells in Pakistan.
The family have made such a worthwhile contribution to their community and they have earned the right to be here. The decision to deport them back to Pakistan is hard to understand. Their Christianity is another factor which makes them all vulnerable. "
A Home Office spokesperson said: “As there is an ongoing appeal, it would be inappropriate to comment on this case.”
