LONDON NO BORDERS, AND SOAS DETAINEE SUPPORT GROUP CALL: For An End to Immigration Detention!
Yarls Wood Immigration Removal Centre, Bedfordshire, Saturday 21st March 2009.
Demonstrate between 12-2pm
Please join us in our call for an end to the detention of asylum seekers
and immigrants, and for freedom of movement and the right to stay!
We demand an end to:
* Forced removals and deportations
* Detention of children and families
* Detention of torture survivors and victims of rape
* The expansion of the "detention estate" at Yarls Wood and everywhere
* The fast track system
* Medical abuse in detention
* The use of violence upon removals
Planning meeting: Thursday 15th January 2009, 7.30pm @ T&G, Transport House, 128 Theobalds Rd, Holborn, WC1X 8TN
A staggering number of torture and rape survivors are detained as soon as they claim asylum and put on the fast track system (supposedly meant for dealing with claims that are 'clearly unfounded'), leaving them no time to prepare their cases. Over half of women imprisoned in 2006 had no legal representation. Of the 70% that reported rape, nearly half had been detained for over 3 months. Children, pregnant women, torture and rape survivors, people with severe mental health problems and other serious illnesses and disabilities are routinely detained, often for months or even years*. All detainees may face the prospect of being forcibly deported, often to countries where they face mortal danger. People are often assaulted on their way to the airport, beaten and injured by 'escorts' in the process of'persuade' them to leave. (Medical Justice have documented over 300 cases).[*according to the Home Office's own guidelines, all people in these categories should be detained 'only in very exceptional circumstances']
Yarl's Wood was half destroyed by fire in 2002, following an uprising
ignited by the ill-treatment of an elderly and sick woman by guards.
Detainees were left locked all night in the burning building! The centre
re-opened a year later with half the capacity and also housing women and children. Similarly, Harmondsworth Deportation Centre went on fire in 2004, and in 2006 had to close down again due to damage caused by detainees during an uprising. Revolts, protests and hunger-strikes are such a common occurrence in the 11 detention centres operating in the UK that it would be impossible to document them all. Despite all that, the UK government want to increase detention capacity by 60%! (the current capacity is 2500)