A FAMILY of asylum seekers have been given 30 days to leave the country after an MP's last-ditch to keep them in the country failed.

Nigel Karim, his wife Pearl and children Crystal and Calvin have been told they must leave their home in Barkerhouse Road, Nelson and return to Pakistan, where they fear persecution because of their Catholicism.

Hopes for a judicial review into their case were dashed when the High Court did not take on the case.

Now a letter from Pendle MP Gordon Prentice pleading the family's case to immigration minister Liam Byrne has been rejected.

A letter from Mr Byrne says that the family has no legal basis to remain in the UK, and that they must leave voluntarily within the next 30 days, or face detention and deportation.

The family believe their lives would be in danger if they returned to Pakistan.

Mrs Karim's cousin was murdered shortly before the family left five years ago, and it is thought that the killers were really after her husband because of his religious beliefs.

Mr Karim said: "I just don't know what we are going to do. We are in a real fix now and it's very frightening.

"If we have to go back, it will be the worst thing that can possibly happen for myself and my family.

"People over here don't understand what we will be facing.

"We have had a lot of publicity in the UK and with the internet all they have to do is press one button to find out about us and find out about our religious beliefs. That's really scary.

"It's all about the children for us as well. I have a lot of fear for them."

The family's only hope is to lodge a legal challenge to the Government's asylum policy from Pakistan.

At the moment, Mr Karim said the UK recognised it as a country friendly to Christians, so cannot accept that the Karims face persecution.

The family has instructed a specialist firm of solicitors in London, which has already successfully changed the asylum policy for Bangladesh, to take up the case.

Residents of Nelson as well as teachers and friends from the children's schools Holy Saviour Primary and Fisher More High School and parishoners from their church, Holy Saviour, have campaigned for them to stay.

Coun Ann Kerrigan, who has led the protests, said the family's friends would continue to fight for them.

She said: "We need to get our heads together and get the legal challenge under way because we haven't got much time.

"There is still a chance, no matter how small, and we are not going to give up."