A close-knit community from Ghana's Ewe tribe is confronting a devastating upheaval today, as a High Court order empowers bailiffs to evict them from their makeshift woodland home in Faversham, Kent.
The group, which includes young children, has been residing on the private land for over a year, forging a spiritual connection to the woods they consider a sacred sanctuary. Their barrister, Tim Baldwin, argued passionately in court that evicting them would constitute a breach of their human rights under Article 8 of the European Convention, which protects private and family life.
A Sanctuary Under Threat
The community, many of whom are seeking asylum, transformed the overgrown plot into a functioning village. They built shelters from tarpaulin and wood, established a communal kitchen, and even created a place of worship, deeply embedding their lives and faith into the fabric of the woodland.
Their barrister stated the site had become ‘integral to their identity’ and that forcing them into conventional housing would ‘destroy their ability to live their cultural and family life together’ as a distinct community.
The Landowner's Position
However, the landowner, who has not been publicly named, successfully obtained the possession order. The court heard that the tribe had ‘no real prospect’ of successfully defending the claim of trespass. With the legal avenues seemingly exhausted, the community now faces the immediate prospect of being forcibly removed by county court bailiffs.
The situation highlights the complex clash between private property rights and the human rights of vulnerable groups. The tribe's supporters have launched a campaign, ‘Save the Kent Grove’, urging the landowner and authorities to reconsider and find a compassionate solution.
As bailiffs prepare to act, the future of this unique community hangs in the balance, posing difficult questions about compassion, legality, and the meaning of home in modern Britain.
