Category: General

Updates & open discussion on women and immigration control. We welcome you to join us for our evening of updates, discussion & food next Thursday.

Updates

The session will begin with updates on the fight against immigration raids across London. The session will start with updates on ‘immigration enforcement’ activities and the growing popular resistance against raids, including testimony from people that attended the raid on Tuesday with a short video. Everyone is welcome to share their experiences.

Discussion – women & immigration controls

Women suffer everyday as a result of racist immigration policies of the UK government. Community enforcement action by immigration officers target women in their work places and at home, as well as their families.  People are subjected to violence, intimidation and force from Immigration Officers. These action are often invisible to the general public as they happen behind closed doors.

Last year, women detained in Yarlswood Immigration Removal Centre reported sexual assault by guards. Meanwhile women working in domestic homes often suffer emotional, physical and sexual abuse by their ‘employers’ as they are unable to leave their work owing to restrictions on their immigration status.

The stories of women are under-represented in discourses around immigration control. It is important to open this up in our discussions and think of ways we can support women in our communities.

Please join us at the Feminist Library. 5 Westminster Bridge Road at 6.30pm on Thursday 8^th May.

Snacks will be provided. Feel free to bring something to share.

At least 150 detainees in Harmondsworth Immigration Detention Centre, near Heathrow, are now on mass hunger strike. The detainees have been holding a protest all day in the main courtyard of the migration prison. The protestors have all signed a statement (see below) explaining their demands and saying that they have started a hunger strike. Some are refusing water as well as food. A number of protestors who have health problems or are due to be deported imminently are also part of the protest but are eating. 100 people are still occupying the main courtyard currently (8.30 PM) but others are continuing their protest inside as night falls. One man who is part of the protest has already been on an individual hunger strike for 67 days and is now extremely weak.

The detainees are asking for all help possible to get their message outside to the world. The prison authorities have now shut off email and fax access, but currently we still have phone contact with some detainees.

Here is the petition signed by the detainees and handed to the prison authorities:

As to resolve the following issues

* Home Office fast track system [NB: system in which refugees are immediately detained whilst their asylum claims are processed]

* Healthcare in the detention centre

* Detainees are awaiting to travel to their home countries for months, without any response from the home office, when have agreed to voluntary return. One person has been waiting for 17months.

* People who were transferred from other centres on a promise for interview or high commission face to face interviews are still waiting to send back to their centre such as people from scotland are still stuck here without lawyers, guests.

* we are not getting enough legal help, in some cases no legal advice at all our important faxes and documents are waiting sometimes for four to five hours in the IRC office before they reach us.

* We need to resolve this face to face by the official immigration staff who record this complaint – this petition and peaceful protest- then we will consider to withdraw this hunger strike.

We are block C and D, and also A and B about to start peaceful protest and hunger strike.

***

For more information please contact The Unity Centre on 0141 427766 OR 07448 617766. We can redirect journalists to detainees.

***

BACKGROUND INFO

On Harmondsworth, one of Europe’s largest migration prisons: http://detentionaction.org.uk/aboutus/about-harmondsworth-detention-centre

On the cruel ‘Detained Fast Track’ system of imprisoning asylum seekers: http://ncadc.org.uk/blog/detention-action-detained-fast-track-denies-access-to-justice/

http://www.righttoremain.org.uk/toolkit/dft-and-nsa.html

On the background to the major protests in 2006: http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/dec/13/immigration.prisonsandprobation

We received the following information from friends of Anti Raids, today 2 May 2014. For further information, contact the number below.

Presently there is a peaceful protest taking place in one of the courtyards of Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre, near Heathrow (Europe’s largest migrant detention centre). Approximately 150 detainees are occupying the courtyard, sitting down in protest of the fast-track asylum system in which individuals claiming asylum are placed immediately in detention and held whilst their asylum cases are processed. Protesters are refusing to eat or to move. Security has started taking the ID cards from each individual involved in this peaceful sit down protest.

The demands of detainees are as follows:

– To be taken off the unfair fast track system.

– To not be treated as criminals by being locked up.

– For communications with lawyers to stop being interfered with (claims that faxes are often not received and letters to lawyers not sent by detention staff are being made).

– Access to adequate legal representation.

– The end of corrupt practices whereby governments including Pakistan and Nigeria are given payments to issue travel documents and accept deportees, including people who are not even from those countries.

Detainees have expressed the following sentiments:

– Detainee 1:

‘we don’t even know the meaning of fast track; they give us an interview today and decide tomorrow, it is not fair’

‘some people have gone back to their countries and been killed’

‘we are expecting letters from lawyers but don’t receive letters; we send letters and they don’t go out’

‘people need help, no one is going to eat food, no one is going for visits’

‘they are treating us like criminals in here’

– Detainee 2:

‘our point of view is this one, we are all put on fast track and have no proper time; just one day before we get decision then they finish our case within 5-6 days’ (talking about appeals and decisions)

‘we are not given time to get evidence if someone wants to save their life that’s why they come here…’

‘there is no time to prepare a case and we have to find all our own evidence’

‘80% of people in here have no solicitor’

‘they consider everyone the same, there is no proper time to make a claim, if someone needs evidence from their country it is not possible in 1 or 2 days to get this’

‘judges give decisions of appeals in the same day as they are heard’

‘99% of cases on fast track are refused’

– Detainee 3:

‘we are scared what will happen now, they are taking our IDs; they are taking us away 5 or 6 at a time’

‘we don’t know each other but we are all suffering in the same way’

‘there are about 150 of us sitting here’

For further information please contact:

The Unity Centre – 0141 4277992

www.unitycentreglasgow.org

They can also put you in phone contact with detainees inside Harmondsworth

** for further background on Harmondsworth see: http://detentionaction.org.uk/aboutus/about-harmondsworth-detention-centre

Join us!

Over the past few months people from the Anti Raids Network have been out distributing ‘Know your Rights’ leaflets to people in markets, shops and streets around London. The aim is to give people the information needed to avoid and resist community immigration controls. Next week we will be in Peckham.

Immigration raids happen every day. Recent reports have suggested that up to 70% of the raids in south London have been illegal. Immigration Enforcement Officers have been carrying out raids without correct paperwork and many people have been illegally picked up as a result.

We will bring our latest cards and leaflets with information about rights in different languages. Come along and help us to distribute and spread this information to shops, restaurants and people in Peckham.

Come and join us at Peckham Rye station at 9am.

Take Action. Don’t stand by these racist immigration checks.

On Tuesday (29th April), friends of the Anti Raids Network disrupted a Home Office immigration raid on a Middle Eastern restaurant in London SW1, near Hyde Park, shortly after 2pm. Two ‘Immigration Enforcement’ vans were parked up in a back street off Lowndes Square shortly after 2pm, and about 10 immigration officers with one Met police officer in tow barged into the nearby restaurant. Here is a report from friends who were there:

“We were hot on their heels, some 8 of us getting through the door just behind them. As in previous raids, we shouted out to everyone in the building to let them know that: you can walk away and leave at any time during the raid; you don’t have to answer any questions; immigration officers are not allowed to block people from leaving or chase anyone out of the building. We also filmed and photographed the raid and handed out information leaflets in both English and Arabic.

A number of people did manage to walk out and leave the restaurant without being hassled. On this occasion the staff of the restaurant all had legal papers and chose to show them to the immigration officers. The border thugs also used a mobile fingerprint scanner on one man. Failing to find any ‘illegals’, the squad told everyone to ‘go back to work’. They were followed back to their vans by chants of ‘Racist Scum, Off Our Streets’, and then we watched them drive off empty-handed.

Video here

We learnt a few interesting things today. The border thugs had no legal paperwork to enter the building, but it seems got so-called ‘consent’ from the manager on the door. This is typical: they push their way in, then intimidate people into ‘agreeing’, with the implied threat of bigger trouble if you don’t cooperate. Recently released official reports have condemned the London Bridge UKBA gang behind this raid for routinely using dodgy paperwork to enter buildings. Another question is what led them to target this restaurant. Most Home Office ‘intelligence’ comes from tip-offs from grasses and informers*, so maybe there was a call from someone with a grudge. Or perhaps it was just a ‘fishing expedition’ picking randomly on a business with migrant workers.

We noticed that, unlike many other raids, this time the racists were oddly well behaved and didn’t try to muscle us out of the way. it could be that after recent bad publicity they’ve had some kind of ‘good cop’ training day on how not to let the mask slip when there’s several cameras pointed at you. Also, we got the feeling that they may be getting increasingly resigned to meeting this kind of opposition and disgust wherever they go.

That’s just as it should be. Immigration officers are bullies who rely on our fear and compliance. As they routinely break their own rules, knowing that they may get caught out for acting illegally is one reason why they may retreat when confronted by a few people. Another simpler one is that, like most predators, their basic strategy is to pick off easy targets, but back off when they meet resistance.

Of course this kind of shit is going on everywhere, every day. And many people are fighting it, every day. Anti Raids is just one network involved in sharing ideas, information and examples of resistance. What we need is a widespread culture of zero tolerance for raids and bullying attacks by immigration officers, police, or any other fascists. In the streets, in our neighbourhoods, wherever we are, don’t stand by, take action.”

***

Anti Raids will be out on the street next week in Peckham. Join us to distribute ‘know your rights’ leaflets on Tuesday 6th May. Meet at Peckham Rye station at 9am. See the previous blog post for further details.

Notes:

*There were 100,000 tip offs in 2010 for example.

Heavy police & UKBA activity is expected in Brixton on Thursday 6th March according to information published here. We support the callout for people to go down & monitor events, meeting in Windrush Square from 1pm. The following leaflet is reportedly being circulated by Lambeth Council and Trident Command:

“Lambeth Council, Lambeth Police and Trident Central Gangs Unit, will undertake a significant number of activities in Brixton to tackle gang related violence, street crime and Anti Social Behaviour. This planned partnership day of action will include weapon sweeps in parks and open spaces, trading standards and licensing visits, abandoned car removals, Anti Social Behaviour operations, tenancy enforcement and operations to tackle robbery. Windrush Square Engagement Event 2pm-6pm – COME ALONG!
There will be various stalls offering information designed to encourage young people into education, employment and diversionary activities including Job Centre Plus, Street Doctors and Dance United London Academy. In addition, the London Fire Brigade will be present along with mobile Police station, Battersea Dogs and Cats home and Community Safety. This
day will be supported by the mobile CCTV van and increased police patrols during the evening as well as arrest enquiries on those persons involved in gang related violence. Local police and council officers will be present throughout the day to provide reassurance patrols and assistance. Officers from Police and Council as well as local Safer Neighbourhood staff will be available to answer any questions you may have.”

We are revolted by attempts to give this blatant day of concerted oppression and social cleansing a friendly face by combining it with a fluffy outreach event. Will Dance United London Academy be providing us all with afternoon entertainment while police and other state agents drag people off the streets?!

Witness statement:

04/02/14 Tuesday 2.15pm (Began at approx. 2pm on Holloway road.)

At 2.15pm I challenged officers who were inside a bag shop on Holloway road. They refused to show a warrant or anything which would indicate they had prior information before entering the premises. The manager said that he had not given them his consent or been warned of the search until they were in the shop. They began harassing and searching two workers, one of whom managed to leave (possibly by exercising his right to simply walk away?)

One man was arrested. The manager said that this man had a visa but not a work visa. He seemed confident he would be back ‘tomorrow’

Upon challenging two of the officers I was told that I would be arrested for ‘obstruction’. They were all quite fired up and very aggressive. At this point I was standing near them and talking calmly with them, and I was certainly not in their way. One officer (a well built white man of around 45 years) said ‘that’s it I’m arresting you’ and attempted to grab me by the arm. He shoved me over into a display stand as I pulled myself free.

Two officers stayed to hand over notice of a £10,000 fine to the manager. The man who was arrested did not seem too upset, and said himself that he ‘would be back’! It seems he had residence papers but with a temporary work restriction – the manager wouldn’t say anything else.

The UKBA/IE officers also raided a hairstylists’ two doors down, and then went to several businesses along Seven Sisters road, including a restaurant. However, the people working in these places said that they had simply warned them of a potential fine if people were found to be without papers, and then left.

I don’t know if more than 1 man was arrested, but it is clear that Immigration Enforcement officers were carrying out illegal fishing raids in the area today.

Immigration checks and violent arrest – a testimony, 4th January

On Saturday 4th January 2014, whilst walking along Oxford Street, central London at around 1am, two people spotted a UKBA van parked in front of hoardings for building work. Both witnesses went to see what was happening. On the pavement behind the vans, there appeared to be 3 people sleeping in a shop front. Gathered around them were various ‘official looking’ people. Several uniformed UKBA officers were clearly identifiable, plus several uniformed police, and other ‘officials’ in plain clothes with various utility belts and body armour protruding through their clothing.

A UKBA officer was looming over one of the people sitting on the floor. The witnesses approached this person, and informed him that he did not have to speak to the border agent, answer any questions or show her any identification. The border agent insisted this was not true, and that the witnesses should go away. One of the people getting questioned began to get very agitated as he was wondering why there was so much attention. Witnesses explained that they were solely there to observe the UKBA and the police.

The officers asked the witnesses ‘what are you doing here’ to which the male witness replied ‘we were just walking along the street’. The officer then said ‘why don’t you carry on walking then’? The witness replied ‘well, I’m standing here at the moment’ and then asked the officer ‘what are you doing here’. This seemed to provoke a fit of rage from the officer. The officer – PC CW 3206 from Central Westminster – exclaimed ‘I’ve had enough of you people’ and grabbed the neck of the male witness, violently forcing him back against a wooden pillar that was supporting the building site hoarding. The witness did nothing to retaliate, believing the officer was just trying to briefly scare him, or maybe arrest him. However the officer then proceeded to crush the throat of the witness and making it harder to breathe.

The officer threw the witness to the ground, violently twisting his arms. The witness shouted to passers by to film what was happening. The officer then asserted more force, twisting the handcuffs causing severe and ongoing pain to the witness. As the force on his upper body increased, the wind pipe of the witness began to close up, and he struggled to breathe – this is recognised as a dangerous position of ‘restraint’ by the Metropolitan Police themselves, causing what they describe as ‘positional asphyxiation’. The witness tried to tell the officer he was an asthmatic and couldn’t breathe, but got no response.

The torture or ‘pain compliance’ that the officer was carrying out continued for at least a minute or more. Eventually, the officer then dragged the witness up using the handcuffs, further cutting into the witness wrists, whilst still twisting them, and slammed him against another pillar. The witness was arrested, held for 4 hours in the police station and later bailed for a public order offence of ‘using threatening words / behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress’.

The UKBA inspectors managed to get the bankcard of one of the people being checked. They asked him to stand up to be photographed against a pillar, and then two officers went into the van. One of them came back about 20 or 30 minutes later, and served some documents to the man and explained to him in English that he had to present himself on three occasions to the UKBA and then would be deported to Poland sometime in February because he failed to show willingness to remain in the UK, because he had failed to sign on at the Job Centre on a number of occasions. The man had been in the UK for 9 years and was extremely shocked, so was his friend who was awake.

People living and sleeping around Oxford Street and Marble Arch told the Anti Raids Network that they are harassed by Police and UKBA on a daily basis. Some people report being repeatedly arrested and having documents/money taken away from them at the police station.

Protect yourself, defend your friends and neighbours. Share, download and distribute our new, double sided cards on what to do during immigration raids here (4 per page).