Today, at Oakington detention centre in Cambridgeshire, many other migrant people held there against their will have protested following the death of a 40 year old man earlier in the morning:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/8623025.stm
Downplaying the seriousness of another death in a detention centre and the response by detainees, press have reported that cops have been sent in to negotiate about the ‘disturbance’, backed up by ‘protective kit’ (as if it’s police safety that is the issue here rather than the safety of the people locked up in an old RAF base converted into a prison!). But this should not be downplayed. Death in detention is certainly not a new phenomenon. As long ago as 2005 deaths and suicides in detention centres were being highlighted: Continue reading Death in detention – UK as a country of sanctuary?
Tag Archives: Yarl’s Wood
SOLIDARITY WITH YARL’S WOOD HUNGER STRIKERS
DEMO AT SERCO OFFICES, 18-22 HAND COURT, HOLBORN, LONDON WC1V 6JF.
FRIDAY 19th FEBRUARY, 2.30pm
Over 50 women have been on hunger strike at Yarls Wood Immigration
Prison near Bedford since Friday 5th February, demanding their
immediate release from indefinite detention.
More info, Read more and visit: http://london.noborders.org.uk
Continue reading SOLIDARITY WITH YARL’S WOOD HUNGER STRIKERS
Defend the Yarl’s Wood 4
Update: Women In Yarl’s Wood Vow To Stay On Hunger Strike – Black Women’s Rape Action Project | 12.02.2010http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/02/445969.html
Women’s struggle ongoing in one of UKBA’s detention centre’s run by Serco scumbags. Moved to mainstream prisons to try and keep them down. How you can help:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/02/445917.html
Continue reading Defend the Yarl’s Wood 4
Women on hunger strike at Yarl’s Wood centre
Women at Yarl’s wood immigration detention centre have been on hunger strike since Friday last week and in the last couple of days, the detention centre has responded brutally. See the links below for info/summary about what’s been happening. The traditional violence of the British state is alive and kicking.
F-word website: Report from the Yarl’s Wood hunger strike: By Jess McCabe | 8 February 2010, 16:54
http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog/2010/02/report_from_the
See also: National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaignshttp://www.ncadc.org.uk/
Bedford demo “For An End to Immigration Detention” Sat 21st March
Saturday 21st March 2009 Gather 11.30am at Bedford Town Centre to march from Bedford to Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre, to demonstrate between 12.30 and 2pm.
Continue reading Bedford demo “For An End to Immigration Detention” Sat 21st March
Letter received from Zimbabwean detainee in Yarl’s Wood
This comes from a detainee we have come to know and who anti-deportation activists in Nottingham are supporting. Like many desperate Zimbabweans she came to the UK on Malawian passport. This is not illegal in international law if you are fleeing persecution. She narrowly escaped being removed last week due to a Home Office cock-up, but we can’t rely on another one of those. Please watch this space for more news of how to support her. We don’t want to give her name, but here is her experience?
Continue reading Letter received from Zimbabwean detainee in Yarl’s Wood
Mustafa not deported but still in detention; Selina & Family also get stay of removal
Supporters have informed us that Mustafa Abdulrahim Mustafa is still here after his removal to Sudan by BMI (British Midland Airways Limited) was due to take place on Saturday Oct 4th, but please continue to fax letters to the home secretary and immigration minister on his behalf. He is still in Campsfield House (Immigration Removal Centre in Oxfordshire) and the Home Office say they have no plans to release him.
We also have the good news (see also Evening Post article) that Selina and her children were arriving home to Nottingham as of 4th Oct, after they were detained for removal to Ghana by British Airways on Friday 3rd. A neighbour drove to London to collect them as soon as they knew she was being released. Selina has seen that 940 supporters signed a petition in support of her and the children (now over 1020 signatures). Brian (aged 8) is very happy ‘to be out of the Dungeon’, and we are hoping that little Chelsea (5) will start eating again soon, because she wouldn’t eat in Yarl’s Wood (Immigration Removal Centre in Bedfordshire). The campaign has learnt is that another family with young children ‘disappeared’ from the same school (St Patricks, in Wilford) over the summer holidays, and an older sister bringing a younger sibling to school mentioned that her family had beein in Yarlswood for three months last year. This is just one primary school… we need to keep the Campaign going for Selina, and we need to think about what else is going on in our midst.
See previous No Borders Nottingham website articles for background details on both attempted removals. Pressure must be kept up on the airlines to stop them colluding with the UKBA over deportations like these, which are known to involve abuse by private security companies contracted by the government, that within the last week, the Home Office has been forced to investigate.
Continue reading Mustafa not deported but still in detention; Selina & Family also get stay of removal
Nottingham family detained after morning immigration raid: Urgent appeal
Selina Adda and children detained after a raid at their home in The Meadows
UPDATE: Removal stayed. Selina and her children were arriving home [/b]in Nottingham as of 4th Oct, after they were detained for removal to Ghana on Friday. A good neighbour drove to London to collect them as soon as they knew she was being released. Selina has seen that 940 supporters signed a petition in support of her and the children. Brian (aged 8) is very happy ‘to be out of the Dungeon’, and we are hoping that little Chelsea (5) will start eating again soon, because she wouldn’t eat in Yarl’s Wood (Immigration Removal Centre in Bedfordshire). The campaign has learnt is that another family with young children ‘disappeared’ from the same school (St Patricks, in Wilford) over the summer holidays, and an older sister bringing a younger sibling to school mentioned that her family had beein in Yarlswood for three months last year. This is just one primary school… we need to keep the Campaign going for Selina, and we need to think about what else is going on in our midst.
Evening Post article:
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Mea…il/article.html
Selina Adda and her two children, Brian (aged 8) and Chelsea (aged 4) were detained after Immigration arrived at their home in The Meadows (Nottingham South) yesterday morning, just as they were getting ready to go to their school, St Patricks, in Wilford. Selina is from Ghana. She is now ill in Yarlswood, and her little girl is refusing to eat. Yesterday she just asked for orange juice, and Selina was explaining that there is none. Friends and supporters of Selina have put together a letter to the Immigration Minister, and a petition is up and running online
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/asf03oct/Selina and her children (The Adda Family: Home Office ref: A1290971) face removal to Ghana on Friday, BA 81 at 14.15 3rd October: LONDON HEATHROW–>ACCRA, GHANA (ACC). Use this model letter [attachment=16] to write to Liam Byrne.
Please send copies of what you have sent to the campaign address:
St Saviour’s Cottage, St Saviour’s Gardens, The Meadows, Nottingham, NG2 3HL
tel: 0115 9567686 email: selina_adda@live.com or to Nottingham & Notts Refugee Forum. Read more for full info and text of model letter. Complain to British Airways also (again, read more for phone/fax details).
This news comes as the Home Office has been forced to recognise that there are hundreds of claims by asylum-seekers of abuse and assault in detention centres and during removals, and start an investigation.
Continue reading Nottingham family detained after morning immigration raid: Urgent appeal