MPs asked to help asylum family

Sabrina Bamburac has lived half her life on Tyneside

MPs have been asked to back efforts to prevent a promising young tennis player being deported to Croatia.

Newcastle East and Wallsend MP and former Cabinet Minister Nick Brown, presented a petition in the House of Commons signed by more than 1,400 friends and neighbours of 10-year-old Sabrina Bamburac and her family.

Despite being touted by tennis chiefs as one of England's brightest prospects, Sabrina and her parents have been refused asylum and face being returned to the Balkans.

The family has begun a legal challenge to the deportation, on the grounds that a government adjudicator failed to consider their human rights.

The appeal process could last up to six months.

The family has been living in Newcastle for five years, but have been ordered to return to Croatia after their application for asylum was turned down.

Human rights

In the Commons Mr Brown said the fact that 1,411 signatures were collected in less than a week proved how well the family had settled in Newcastle - where they have lived for five years.

He said the young sportswoman had picked up an "endearing Geordie accent" and warned it could be a breach of her human rights not to let her develop her talent.

Mr Brown said it would be "cruelly unfair" to deport the family.

The Home Office says it assessed the family's application and determined there was no threat to life if the family returned to Croatia.

But Mr Brown added: "It does seem to me that there are things that can be said on the family's behalf.

"The little girl has spent more than half her life here in the UK.

"The family have settled here, they have made friends, they are an accepted part of the local community and people like them very much.

"The little girl is a very talented little girl, she is doing very well at school, she has a real future in lawn tennis.

"Why should all of that be ripped from her?"