Statement from the October 7th organising committee:

MARCH AND RALLY FOR MIGRANTS' & REFUGEES' RIGHTS
7TH MAY BANK HOLIDAY
ASSEMBLE 11AM OUTSIDE WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL NEAR VICTORIA STATION

(Co-ordination meeting Sunday 22nd April 6pm at Transport House )

On the 7th of October 2006 a coalition of migrant groups, trade unions and social justice activists marched in London demanding equal rights for all. We were joining many others across Europe and Africa in an international effort to co-ordinate struggles and put forward a collective call for the regularization of all migrants in the EU.

Since then other initiatives have appeared with related aims of improving the legal situation of migrants in this country. Religious groups and civil organisations have called for a National Day of Action and Celebration of Justice for Migrants on May 7th.

We call on those who took to the streets in October to come out again and in bigger numbers to march in a diverse gathering that will also see the participation of trade unions such as the TGWU.

However, we believe it is important to ensure that the fight for equal rights for all deals with the many aspects of the oppressive migration regime besides legal status. That is why we will march for:

- Regularisation for all migrants. No one is illegal.
- The closure of all detention centers in Europe and everywhere, because migrating is not a crime.
- An end to all deportations and to the externalisation process which turns countries on the edges of the European Union (and beyond) into holding camps.
- Full labour rights for all workers, independently of their migration status. Stop the pitching of workers against each other.

A WAR ON MIGRANTS?

Global numbers of migrants keep increasing, fueled by wars, environmental destruction and poverty thanks to banks and institutions based in places like London. However only a very small proportion of all migrants make it to the UK, most remaining near their countries. Iran, Jordan and Kenya all have huge refugee populations thanks to wars. Also, as global warming increases so does the number of refugees. Britain may be directly responsible for only 2% of global warming gases, but UK-based companies account for over 12% of the planetary total. This means that the arrows in news bulletins of stockfluctuations also point at the displacement of those whose land has become either too hot to sustain them or is sinking under the rising seas. But connecting cause and effect is not a popular sport nowadays. Only two years ago politicians and artists tried to Make Poverty History, but today they cannot see that is precisely that poverty that makes many migrants arrive at these shores.

Of course, the majority of the UK press does not help by portraying migrants as lazy dangerous criminals who come here to get a council flat and free NHS surgery. They know that most migrants are actually hard working people who provide vital services, but fear and loathing sell newspapers. These in turn help to sell biometric ID cards, first for foreigners then for everyone.

In this context we witness the continued dismantling of the refugee and asylum system, best illustrated by the scandal of the deportations of Darfuris to Sudan to face torture-- by the same government that claims the situation there has reached bottom level. Darfuris thus join the ranks of Iraqis, Zimbabweans and Congolese who are sent back despite the blatant dangers they face. The message is clear: you may as well change your name, disappear from your stable housing and work for exploitative wages. Then we will call you illegal.

RESISTANCE IS NOT FUTILE

It would be easy to despair and think that the world has just gone too mad for turning, but at the same time we see that resistance is growing. The Unity campaign in Glasgow has proved a tough local nut to crack for the Home Office gestapo unit and it organises thousands of migrants. The Justice for Cleaners campaign of the TGWU has won some important victories in battles pitching migrant workers against some of the richest banks in the City of London. Only recently general secretaries of five major unions stopped the deportation of amigrant activist through joint pressure on the government.

We see this march as part of a process of convergence and mobilisation that will carry on fighting for regularisation in the UK and Europe, coupled with union and social rights, and an end to deportations. This march is not an end in itself, but another step for migrants, their communities and other groups and organisations to come together to make demands, support each other, and intervene in the political debate.

Be part of this process by attending a Ideas and planning day for Regularisation - Saturday May 19th, 11-4, South Bank University (venue tbc).