The call for a No Borders camp at Gatwick in September follows a demonstration last month in Crawley, the nearest town to the proposed camp.
On April 21st, 100 people took part in the demonstration called by No Borders Brighton and No Borders London (Indymedia http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/04/368379.html ).

A new purpose-buillt Immigration Removal Centre is planned at Gatwick Airport as part of the government's five-year strategy for asylum and immigration. The centre will be developed in partnership with BAA Lynton.

BAA Lynton, on behalf of the Airport Property Partnership, will shortly commence the process of obtaining planning consent to develop the new site, which is located within the boundary of Gatwick Airport. The Government has already seen the 'benefits' of locating removal centres close to airports, with operations at Colnbrook and Harmondsworth, near Heathrow, and at the existing centre at Gatwick, Tinsley House. The latter was also developed by BAA Lynton in a similar way to the new centre being planned. The new centre, which is due to open in 2008, will have around 420 places for male and female detainees.

There are 10 immigration detention centres in the UK. 7 are run by private companies contracted by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND), while 3 are run by the Prison Service. As of January 2005, these prisons have a total capacity of 2,644. However, the Labour government, which inherited 700 places when it took office in 1997, aims for a total of 4,000 places. In addition, there are many so-called Short-term Holding Facilities at many ports and airports throughout the country as well as at a number of immigration reporting centres.