NCADC asked the Home Office this morning to
comment on the proposed flight, they said, "We
can not comment for operational reasons".

*Castor was the 'Operational' name given to the
'Charter Flight' on the 26th February that
removed 21 children and 17 adults to DR Congo.

According to MONUC the UN peacekeeping force
based in DR Congo. Armed Forces of DRC (FARDC),
and the National Congolese Police (PNC) are
involved in extrajudicial executions, rape,
arbitrary arrests and torture on a daily basis in
DR Congo.

To the best of our knowledge all the seats on the
proposed 'Charter flight' have not yet been
filled. Therefore we assume the Home Office will
be sweeping the country to pick up DR Congo
Families/individuals to make sure the 'Charter
flight is full. Last February they picked up more
families and individuals than there were seats on
the plane. This was to make sure that if legal
challenges were made to stay some of the removals
there would be a reserve of families/individuals
to make sure the flight is full.

Planning meeting to stop the 'Charter Flight' to DR Congo
Wednesday 15th August - 7.30pm
Friends Meeting House
2 Mount Street
Manchester
M2 5 NS

Called by Congo Support Project, Bolton NUT,
Sukula Family Must Stay Campaign, Innocent Must
Stay Campaign, Marie Chancelle & Christine Must
Stay Campaign, Manchester Committee to Defend
Asylum Seekers, RAPAR, Respect Party, everyone
welcome.

The meeting will be to organize locally and
nationally, so no matter which town you live in,
you will be welcome to come to Manchester (or
organize a meeting in your own town).

Contact details:
Innocent Empi
078 7167 6129

If you are a refused DR Congo asylum seeker, and
have been given/receive "removal directions" that
include the words "Operation Castor", and you do
not have a legal representative.

NCADC may be able to put you in touch will a
well-respected immigration solicitor who can
represent you for free. Please note, this would
specifically be for asylum seekers who get
"removal directions" as a part of "Operation
Castor" only.

We need the following information about you :
* Full names of asylum seeker and any dependents
* Date of birth(s)
* Port ref no. and Home Office ref no.
* Date, time, flight number of your "removal directions"
We may then ask you to fax the solicitor ;
* Copy of your "removal directions"
* Copy of your "factual summary" from Immigration
(if you don't have one you should request one)
* Signed and dated instructions to the solicitor to act on your behalf

Operational Charter flights, Aardvark and Ravel
*XL Airways were the owners of the plane that
removed the DR Congolese in February. A response
to a Freedom of Information Act request revealed
that the Home Office's expenditure with XL
Airways "to deport/repatriate persons from the UK
[via Charter flights] for the year 2005/2006" was
£1,542,826.96. XL airways run 'Charter flights'
(Aardvark) to Eastern Europe every week and to
Afghanistan 2/3 (Ravel) times a month.