Child detention given green light today despite noisy protests

In spite of noisy protests outside, Mid Sussex Council District Planning Committee today gave a green light to the continued detention of children and families when they approved by 14 votes to 1 the UK Border Agency's application to turn Crawley Forest School in Pease Pottage into a Pre-Departure Accommodation centre.

Opponents of child detention, including SOAS Detainee Support, Brighton No Borders and No Borders London, branded the decision “disgraceful” and vowed to continue the fight against the centre and the companies involved in designing and running it.

Bristol No Borders presents: "Beyond Borders" (Part I): 21/05/11

The first of two events of talks and discussions on migration controls and resistance.

Saturday 21st May in Bristol, 11-6pm (venue tbc.)

Confirmed speakers:

- Bridget Anderson (COMPAS,Oxford University) : "Why No Borders?"
- Clara Osagiede (RMT Cleaners Rep, Living Wage Campaign): "Migrant Worker Struggle"
- Ann Singleton:(Statewatch): "The Changing meaning of borders in the EU"

Late lunch provided for donations

News from Lampedusa - a personal report (part 2)

The following is a second report from a NoBorders activist in Lampedusa (see first part here).

The situation here is mad.

Lampedusa is being used as an open air prison.
In the detention centre now there are more than 3000 tunisians. There should be about 800 only...
http://tv.repubblica.it/cronaca/lampedusa-il-centro-di-accoglienza-e-un-...

There are also some women and many minors. They sleep everywhere: two in every beds, under the beds, outside, in any space available so that there is no space even to walk.

They do not have blankets.

Protest against Stonewall's award-giving to the Home Office, 19/03/11

On Friday 19th March LGB charity Stonewall are presenting the Home Office with an award for best UK workplace for lesbian, gay and bisexual peoplean award. Come and demonstrate against this from 2pm-6pm at Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre off Parliament Square, London WC1.

More details about why NoBorders are protesting against this award here.

"Keep Your Promise" London campaign launch 26/03/11

End Child Detention Now, Shpresa Programme and Student Action for Refugees are launching the "Keep Your Promise" campaign on Saturday 26th March from 5pm-6.30pm with an event at Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, Bethnal Green.

PRESS RELEASE from Dale Farm Solidarity campaign

Today, March 14, at 6:45 pm, residents from Dale Farm will issue a
statement outside the Basildon Council meeting (Towngate Theatre, St.
Martin's Square, Basildon SS14 1DL). There they will be joined by supporters who will also participate in a press briefing.

Basildon Council is set to vote today on whether to authorise £18 million pounds for the eviction of the Traveller community at Dale Farm. The Council are coming under fire for spending millions of pounds on a discriminatory eviction at a time when they are cutting public services. A special council meeting will commence at 7:30 pm to vote on the eviction.

Dale Farm is a former scrapyard that a group of Travellers bought and now call home. It is currently a community of around 1000 people, the
largest in Europe, and was featured in the tv hit "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding".

News from Lampedusa - a personal report

Lampedusa is the very first place where migrants land after their difficult journey from north Africa. From here they are sent to several detention centers in Italy.

A new centre is going to be open in the next days in a residence in Mineo, close to Catania (Sicily) in what used to be a residence for NATO employees!

It seems that up to now about 8000 migrants have arrived from Tunisia.

At the moment there are probably about 1400 migrants in the Lampedusa detention center (there is barely space for 800!)

What follows is a personal account of an NoBorder activist's journey to Lampedusa.

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