Revival of West Midlands Anti-Deportation Campaigns
One of NoBorders | 14.08.2006 12:28 | Migration | Social Struggles | Birmingham
With the number of forced deportations reaching unprecedented records and asylum seekers of ceratin nationalities (Iraqis and Zimbabweans, for example) facing the prospect of mass deportation campaigns in the near future, a number of failed and successful asylum seekers, along with their supporters, met yesterday in Birmingham to build up campaigns against their possible deportation. The result was reviving the West Midlands Anti-Deportation Campaigns (WMADC), which disbanded in 2000, after 15 years of successful campaigns.
Present at the meeting, which was held at the newly occupied Cottage Social Centre, were failed asylum seekers, most of whom had been in detention and experienced unsuccessful deportation attempts, who are wishing to run a public campaign. Present also were activists from the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns (NCADC), Birmingham Anti-Racist Campaign (ARC), Birmingham NoBorders and the Cottage Social Centre Collective.
After a brief introduction on how to run a public campaign, stories of suffering in Britain's shameful detention centres and throughout the border regime were told, as well as stories of previous and potential campaigns to resist deportation. Each individual or family was then linked to one or more activists to help them run their campaign.
The group will be meeting at the Cottage Social Centre every 2 weeks on Sundays. All supporters of the right of all people to stay in the places they choose and those disgusted at the inhumane and racist government policies are welcome.
One of NoBorders
