The government has admitted that it has tried to forcibly remove tens of thousands of people from the UK unlawfully (Guardian newspaper website 22nd March 2013).
http://guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/mar/22/ministers-forcibly-remove-people
Category Archives: Regional news and events
Another Hunger Strike at Morton Hall
Latest Morton Hall update, also on Nottingham Indymedia. 17th Jan 2013.
Another Hunger Strike at Morton Hall
A number of detainees have been on hunger strike inside Morton Hall IRC for as many as 9 days. Abbas Ayub, a Pakistani national said 3 men were protesting because they want to be returned to their countries of birth but the UK Borders Agency continues to detain them. Abbas said he had been refusing food since last Monday because he has been detained since May, even though he has agreed to return to Pakistan voluntarily. He said that no one from UKBA had spoken to him about his protest. “I just want to go back” he told No Borders Nottingham.
Indefinite detention is a deeply controversial part of the UK’s immigration detention system. According to Nick Hardwick, the chief inspector of prisons, speaking last month, some immigration detainees have “simply been forgotten”. One Somali migrant has been held for 9 years after he completed his prison sentence.
The hunger strike is the most recent in a series of protests by Morton Hall prisoners regarding their treatment over the last twelve months. On Wednesday 9th Jan, a Sudanese detainee attempted suicide by slitting his wrists. Friends of the man said that he was frustrated and angry at his long period of detention. Prior to this, a peaceful protest involving between 30 and 40 detainees took place on Christmas Eve. Prisoners had been left without running water, working toilets or cooked food for a number of days.
This is not the first hunger strike inside Morton Hall. In July 2011 an estimated 100 detainees went on hunger strike due to their treatment by the authorities. Two detainees scaled the centre’s rooftops and threatened to jump within less than 24 hours of each other. The detainees, originally from Palestine and Malaysia, were protesting at the ‘disrespectful’ and ‘inhumane’ treatment they experienced, including being detained for prolonged periods.
No Borders Nottingham activist Geoff Bates said “This hunger strike is only the most recent manifestation of ongoing resistance to this country’s inhuman migration control system. The indefinite detention of migrant detainees is an act of violence by the state on vulnerable members of our community and it must end.”
Morton Hall detention centre in Lincolnshire kicking off again
Morton Hall in revolt again – Published: January 03, 2013
The situation in Morton Hall immigration detention centre is at boiling point again after a series of incidents around Christmas. The trigger for events was another serious breach of their responsibilities by the detention centre management who failed to deal swiftly with disruptions to the water supply. A large number of detainees refused to return to their cells in protest. A serious disturbance on Christmas Eve resulted in a detainee ending up in hospital with a serious head injury and injuries to a number of prison officers. There was also a thwarted escape attempt on Christmas Day.
According to No Deportations the situation that sparked the incident was grim: there was a serious water supply failure, before the incident, all toilets blocked, no running water whatsoever, no cooked meals, detainees given sandwiches and cold drinks …
Full article on Nottingham Indymedia: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/4699
See also:
Solidarity demo at Morton Hall detention centre, December 16, 2012
Hunger strike at Morton Hall immigration centre, July 25, 2012
Notts Refugee Week – 18-24 June 2012 plus launch event on 16th
For details about Refugee Week in Nottingham, see: http://www.refugeeweek.org.uk/In-Your-Area/East-Midlands/E-Midlands
Launch event 16th June: http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/event/celebrating-refugee-week
Facebook event page for the 16th: http://www.facebook.com/events/477047238978176/
Be sure to pick up a copy of the excellent Notts Refugee week paper ‘Beyond Borders’ which can be found at venues all around town.
Speak Out – detainee newsletter
“Speak Out” a newsletter produced by detainees can be downloaded here . . . .
Speak Out! Volume 1, Issue 1 October 2011
(Update: Sorry, there seems to be a problem with the file upload – while we try and fix it, please just email below to get the newsletter).
(Update 2: now fixed thanks to an archived copy found on archive.org ).
This newsletter is an idea of a detainee in UK Border Agency’s detention since 2008 and contains experiences of his own and others ill treatment by UKBA and its private contractors.
For more information or to submit articles for the next issue contact:
Email: Ruhul Anam ruhul_99 [at] live.co.uk
or Email: newsletter [at] gdwg.org.uk
Morton Hall Noise Demo – repeat visit to Lincolnshire detention centre – 29/10/2011
On Saturday 29th October there will be a noise demo outside Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre in Lincolnshire. This follows two previous demos already held there over the summer http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1962
We want to continue to express our disgust and anger against the existence of yet another new detention centre. With news of detainees escaping and going on hunger strike in recent months, it seems more important than ever to communicate our solidarity with the struggle of those held inside. We’ll be bringing a sound system, pots and pans and other noise making materials, and it would be great if others can do the same.
We plan to meet at Nottingham train station at 10am to catch the train arriving at Swinderby at 11.10. We will have some funds to cover the cost of travel for people. The detention centre is 10 minutes walk from the station. If others are coming from elsewhere, we suggest meeting at the detention centre at 11.30. The address is Morton Hall IRC, Swinderby,
Lincolnshire, LN6 9PT. We encourage as many people to join us there with banners, placards and noise making materials.
Morton Hall detention centre was formally opened by immigration minister Damien Green on 1st June. Morton Hall was formerly a prison for female foreign national prisoners but has now been converted to an immigration removal centre for male detainees. It is run by HM Prison Service in collaboration with the UK Border Agency. Less than 30 miles from Nottingham it is the only detention centre in the East Midlands.
This demo is a chance for us to show solidarity with those imprisoned and to let them know that there are people out there who oppose the way that they are being treated by our inhuman and racist immigration controls.
There is also a visitors group that has been recently formed to offer support and friendship to those inside. For more info on this, contact mhvg [at] riseup.net
Hip-Hop Benefit Night for Morton Hall at The Sumac Centre, Nottingham – report
On Monday, Monday October 17th 2011 a Hip-Hop Benefit Night at The Sumac Centre Featuring … Test Their Logik, Louis Cypher and Martin the Livewire took place.
Details: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2104
The benefit gig was to help support the Morton Hall Detainee Visitors Group.
Test Their Logik brought their empowering and inspirational hip-hop sounds all the way from Southern Ontario, Kanada AKA Turtle Island.
The Morton Hall detention centre was formally opened by immigration minister Damien Green on 1st June. Morton Hall was formerly a prison for female foreign national prisoners but has now been converted to an immigration removal centre for male detainees. It is run by HM Prison Service in collaboration with the UK Border Agency. Less than 30 miles from Nottingham it is the only detention centre in the East Midlands.
Demonstrations there are a chance to show solidarity with those imprisoned and to let them know that there are people out there who oppose the way that they are being treated by our inhuman and racist immigration controls.
Previous article about demonstration in July 2011:
http://www.nobordersnottingham.org.uk/regional-news-and-events/morton-hall-noise-demo-this-saturday/
Morton Hall Noise Demo this Saturday – 23rd July 2011
This Saturday (23rd July) there will be a noise demo outside Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre in Lincolnshire to express our disgust and anger against the opening of another new detention centre. We’ll be bringing a sound system, pots and pans and we encourage others to do the same.
We will meet at Nottingham train station at 10am to catch the train arriving at Swinderby at 11.10. The detention centre is 10 minutes walk from the station. If people are coming from elsewhere, we suggest meeting at the detention centre at 11.30. The address is Morton Hall IRC, Swinderby, Lincolnshire, LN6 9PT. We encourage as many people to get themselves down there with banners, placards and noise making materials.
Morton Hall detention centre was formally opened by immigration minister Damien Green on 1st June. The centre holds single men and has 393 bed spaces, there are already men imprisoned inside, and ongoing refurbishment work means that detainees will arrive in stages until the centre is finished in September. This is a chance for us to show solidarity with those imprisoned and to let them know that there are people who oppose the way in which they have been treated by the UK Border Agency.
Beyond Borders – Nottingham’s refugee week publication – help with distribution June 2011
Each year Beyond Borders, Nottingham’s Refugee Week coordinating group, creates a newspaper based on the theme of refuge and migration. The aim of the paper is to increase public understanding of issues relating to this topic and to highlight the positive contributions that refugees make to the economic and cultural life of the city.
The paper is very professionally produced and contains a varied selection of articles, some of them informative, some thought provoking, others moving and others entertaining. A copy of last year’s paper can be found here: http://en.calameo.com/read/0003033661f734f664a13.
15,000 copies will be published, and will be free for people to pick up and take home. We hope to reach a very broad audience, and are therefore requesting the help of groups and individuals to help us distribute the paper. We will be making it available in as many doctors’ surgeries, shops, hairdressers and churches as possible, however any additional assistance would be very much appreciated. If any groups have their own venues and are willing to display the paper please could they let us know and we will arrange for copies to be delivered. We can also arrange for copies to be made available at the Volunteer Centre.
Refugee Week 2011 will be 18th-25th June and will bring together a range of community events and activities, all of which will be listed in the paper. If anyone would like to get involved with distributing the Beyond Borders newspaper or helping with any other aspect of the festival please contact me, Juliet Line on 07903114248 or at juliet@culturebox.org
See also: Breaking Borders event – music, poetry, dance and more.
Protest on the day of Moreton Hall detention centre official opening – June 1st 2011
On Wednesday June 1st 2011 a noisy demonstration was held outside Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre in Swinderby, Lincolnshire, expressing dismay, disgust and anger against the opening of another new detention centre. No Borders activists from Nottingham were joined by Campaign to Close Campsfield (Oxford).
Morton Hall was officially opened by immigration minister Damian Green. The centre, previously a prison, has space to hold single men with 393 bed spaces. There is ongoing refurbishment work at the centre, so detainees will arrive in stages until the centre is finished (due to complete in September).
Background:
http://ncadc.wordpress.com/2011/05/27/new-immigration-prison-official-opening-ceremony/
http://www.nobordersnottingham.org.uk/regional-news-and-events/new-detention-centre-announced-at-hmp-morton-hall-in-lincolnshire/