Yearly Archives: 2008

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Cardiff Gay Radical Artist Asylum Seeker Snatched! Protest Wednesday.

Babakhan Badalov, (Babi) the openly gay, internationally renowned radical artist and poet from Azerbaijan was arrested on the morning of 16th September during a reporting session in Cardiff. There will be a protest on Wednesday 17th September against Babi?s incarceration outside of the place where he was grabbed; the UK Border Agency offices at 31-33 Newport Road, Cardiff at 12 noon. All are welcome. This protest will only last one hour so people can come along in their lunch-breaks, and show your support with any banners or placards that you are able to make. Details and complains to Home Office from No Borders Wales. Friend and activist Hywel Bishop said: ?I?ve never seen anyone so scared. If Babi gets sent home he faces persecution from the state for his art, beatings from the local community, as well as the threat of honour killing from his family because they can?t live with the fact that he?s gay.?

On the same day, in Nottingham, a Zimbabwean women was detained at The Bridewell police station. There are many more signing detentions and dawn raids we don’t hear about. The inhuman harassment of asylum seekers in Britain is continuous. How much clearer can it be that nation states are the enemy of any freedom-loving person?
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Judge describes Nottingham ‘illegal’ worker “a perfectly respectable man who fled from Zimbabwe.”

At last, some recognition of the crazy way the British state treats asylum seekers, whilst allowing the populist press and racist troublemakers to call them scroungers. Even though he’d had to obtain fake documents to work and earn a living, Nottingham Evening Post reported that, Judge Dudley Bennett described a Zimbawean man Weldone Javangwe as a “perfectly respectable man” who has contributed to the Nottingham community. “You have been paying your taxes and you have not been a drain on our society in any way.” […] The decision was welcomed by Regis Manyanya, chairman of the Nottingham Zimbabwean Community Network, which campaigns for Zimbabweans refused asylum to be given the right to work. He said: “There are a lot of people in the same situation. Because they are living in destitution some of them feel they have no option but to work illegally. Some are being pushed into prostitution. “They are hard-working and want to make a living, but because of the system they are forced into committing these types of crime.”

Until the day when people are able to escape war and torture freely without borders, all asylum seekers should be able to work so they can try and avoid destitution while they concentrate on their cases and appeals, without this unnecessary additional hassle from vehicle licensing snoopers, immigration officials, police and the so-called justice system.
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Asylum seekers and fellow passengers resist airline deportations. Resistance is not futile!

How can 60 men vanish? Yesterday morning at Tinsley House immigration removal centre (IRC) near Gatwick airport, 15-20 men (Kurdish Iraqis) were being hurried to get ready to board a coach. Several were still waiting for responses from their solicitors, but their phones were quickly removed. At Colnbrook, another IRC at Heathrow airport, detainees had just received the news to get ready, and half an hour later all their phones were off too. Meanwhile at Dover there were about 20-30 men being hurried to board the coaches at about 11.30am, again phones off. When they asked where they were going to be taken so that they could let their families know, they were told, “Thats a Home Office Secret”. No departure time, flight number, airline, destination. So that’s around 60 Kurdish Iraqis being rounded up to be whisked away by the British state with maximum efficiency, minimum information, maximum fear. But this Iraqi Charter Flight never left the UK. Early reports suggest that detainees were forcibly put on to a Hamburg International plane. The plane sat on runway for four/five hours (probably because Erbil was unapproachable due to poor visibility caused by a sand storm). Then a ‘disturbance’ broke out, one detainee sustaining injuries, and a plane window was broken. The pilot said the plane was not air worthy and all detainees were removed from plane. All detainees are now back in removal centres. Dozens of Iraqi Kurds have been forcibly removed into an extremely dangerous and very often deadly environment – is it any surprise that they are resisting? These removals must end now.

Important update by International Federation of Iraqi Refugees-IFIR : Forcible Deportation of Iraqi asylum seekers ended in violence

Earlier this year, in a press release by the Respect Nigerians Coalition, it was explained how a man Ayodeji Omotade had been charged with threatening/abusive/insulting/disorderly behaviour towards British Airways (BA) crew, as a result of intervening in a violent deportation flight to Lagos on March 27, 2008, from Heathrow, London. Despite widespread public protest, including internationally, the case against Mr Omotade is going ahead, although his trial (due to take place Tomorrow Thursday 18th September at Uxbridge Magistrates Court) has been adjourned ? no new date yet. He sends his heartfelt thanks everyone who wrote messages of support.

Join a peaceful protest the day before at 12 noon, WEDNESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER, 2008, at British Airways PLC, Waterside (HAA3), Harmondworth, UB7 0GB.

Mr Omotade asks: “What would you do if someone on your flight was
distressed and crying out for help? Would you stay silent or would you
speak? I spoke and B A didn’t like it. This type of corporate tyranny
must be challenged and stopped.”

More details: Respect Nigerians Coalition: http://www.respectnigerians.com/BoycottBA.pdf

Note: the recently failed charter airline & tour operator XL Airways was previously forced by activist pressure to pull out from deportation flights. More pressure can and must be put on airlines not to participate in forced removals and deportations.
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‘Operation Protector’ harasses foreign workers prior to Labour Party conference (plus repression of ‘Poor People’s March’ in USA)

In an outrageous act of media manipulation, Greater Manchester Police announced a couple of weeks ago that “A major operation to police the 2008 Labour Party Annual Conference has resulted in the arrest of three more people on suspicion of immigration offences.”
http://www.citylocal.co.uk/cities/Manchest…/article/24583/
The news follows removal of one Manchester resident with expired work permit that has already resulted from GMP’s proudly proclaimed ‘Operation Protector’. This major (and presumably expensive) security operation to protect the Labour Party against the most dangerous kind of terrorist mastermind in Manchester, that is, someone working their butt off in a hotel or other city centre venue (allegedly) without 100% correct visa/passport, seems to be geared for maximum publicity effect. Time and time again, migrant workers get criminalised just for surviving, in a world of uncertainty and war created by the same nation states with their armies and police forces. That these authorities can go round making out that harassing a few immigrants, most likely a result of stop & searching anyone with a dark skin, will keep warmongering politicians safe from terrorist threats inside their cosy conference centres, is a slur on all of the hardworking and exploited people that modern capitalist economies depend on.

Read earlier article or go to http://www.nobordersmanchester.blogspot.com/ to read about about No Borders action at the Labour Party Conference (from 19th Sept).
Click on ‘Read more’ for a report about police repression outside Republican National Convention in USA on Labor Day earlier this week.
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AMDANI JUMA: SHORT FILMS ON YOUTUBE

Set the Precedent – Let Amdani Juma Stay; Amdani Juma ? Meet The Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xyHu3GeNYkA
Vital Link To Vulnerable And At Risk Groups – Amdani Juma ? Meet The Man 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5dHbreFshA
Support Amdani?s campaign to remain in the UK by signing the following petition
http://www.petitiononline.com/amdani/petition.html
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Hicham Yezza application for judicial review cancels Sunday removal (but it’s not over yet).

It very good to hear that at 12.30 hours today, an application to the High Court in London was issued seeking a judicial review of the decisions of the Home Office in this matter. The removal directions set for Sunday 1st June have now been cancelled by the Home Office, and an application will be made to them this afternoon for Mr Yezza to be released while his case is reconsidered. David Smith, of Cartwright King solicitors in Nottingham, says ?We hope and trust that the Home Office will now release Mr Yezza and reconsider his case properly and in accordance with the law; we will proceed vigorously with the High Court action unless they agree to do so.? The decision was reported on Channel 4 TV news tonight.
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Asylum seeker and refugee destitution has doubled in 18 months, 4 times for children. Rough sleeping increased by a third.

The following newpaper article about a study that revealed a ‘doubling’ of asylum seeker and refugee destitution in 18 months is from the Guardian and was forwarded by NCADC. If you are on the ground and count amongst the ‘refused’ this will of course come as no surprise. But the answer is not to make the Home Office more efficient – the goal must surely be to counter the whole idea that people can be deprived of the basic necessities of life. Having to resort to charities and church handouts is an undignified last resort, although less so when asylum seekers are able to be involved in a process of self-help like many do at the NNRF. On the otherhand, it is good that so many in the wider community are seeing the need to blatantly defy the government’s attempts to punish the failed and refused by denying them food and shelter. Other examples are the Oxford parents who have organised to foster asylum seeker children so their parents cannot so easily be deported, and community action against dawn raids by police and immigration officials who turn up to take people away in Newcastle, Glasgow and elsewhere. All this is saying to the state – we’ll refuse your authority if you refuse those in our community. This is at least one positive outcome from this distressing situation, because state power is at the root of border and immigration misery.

Asylum seeker and refugee destitution has doubled, says trust

Destitution among refused asylum seekers and refugees in Britain has more than doubled in 18 months, according to a report which describes government policy on the issue as “unacceptable”.

The number of children affected has quadrupled and rough sleepers have increased by a third, says the follow-up study by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. The trust prompted a national debate in March last year after revealing how many failed asylum seekers were surviving only through charity and church support. Chaired by the broadcaster and writer Kate Adie, and including Sayeeda Warsi, now Lady Warsi, the Conservative shadow minister for community cohesion, the original inquiry highlighted an “invisible population which can neither go home nor contribute to British society”.
Full article: Martin Wainwright, The Guardian, Thursday July 24, 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/24/i…dpublicservices
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‘Freedom of Movement’ bloc on Stop the War march – Manchester, Sept 20th

Across the world we see an unprecedented increase in border management and social control. The UK government are at the forefront of this and they are holding their annual party conference in Manchester, from 20th to 25th September 2008. The Stop the War Coalition have called for a march through Manchester on Saturday 20th September. Manchester No Borders and the Anarchist Federation (Manchester group) invite “all anti-authoritarians, anarchists and all those against states, nations and borders to join the ‘freedom of movement’ bloc, and to play a trick or two on those clowns in the Labour Party circus. Let’s collectively imagine a world without borders and wars and fight together to realise this!”
Demo starts 12.30am in All Saints Park, Cavendish Street, Manchester, M15 [Map]. The route will go up Oxford Road left before St. Peter´s Square and on towards Castlefield. To join the bloc, look out for the large ´freedom of movement´ banner.
On day before march, join ‘Roma Solidarity demo’ 11.30am on Friday 19th Sept at the Italian Consulate:http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/08/407058.html
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Regional Border Agency picket by No Borders South Wales & Bristol

Regional Border Agency picket by No Borders South Wales & BristolA couple of days ago, activists from No Borders South Wales and No Borders Bristol demonstrated outside the UK Border Agency?s regional office for Wales and South West in Cardiff today in protest against the UK?s racist and repressive migration controls.
“One of the main reasons we do a regular picket of this place is to distribute leaflets to the refugees who are victimised there. By informing them about the support that?s available and urging them to campaign for the right to stay in the UK, we encourage people to take control of their lives rather than submitt to whims of an asylum regime that aims to de-humanise them at every turn.” Full story and pics on Indymedia:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/08/407236.html
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No Borders Camps taking place in Germany, Greece & Turkey.

The human cost of migration control and detention camps on Europe’s borders (and inside or outside of EU) has never been clearer. This summer a number of gatherings and direct action events will be talking place in Germany (17th-24th August), Greece (29th-31st August), & Turkey (3rd-7th September). Participants are invited to all of these, details as follows:

Antira Summer Camp, Hamburg, Germany: http://camp08.antira.info/aufruf.html
No Border – Patras 2008, Greece: http://www.noborderpatras.org/en/
Dikili No-Border Camp 2008, Turkey: http://dikilinobordercamp.blogspot.com/

These transnational connections are vital for No Borders activists who are not prepared to live in a world of arbitrary borders that were created not by ordinary people, but by ruling elites.

See also: http://noborderswales.wordpress.com/2008/0…der-camps-2008/
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