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Asylum Airways

Josh | 27.12.2007 13:10 | Migration

Specially adapted planes with restraints & padded rooms for transporting failed (?!) asylum seekers to foreign countries and security forces?
anyone?

first off, apologies. This is from a mainstream article, and I imagine pasting up other work is possibly frowned upon, but I wanted to flag it up anyway having just got over the initial urge to vomit. I can't quite comprehend how ugly this world can get, whereby this service is offered, let alone the chance that we could possibly buy into it ourselves (i.e. our govt., our tax money, etc.).

here's the text & link,
 http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article3286810.ece

Austrian company offers to remove UK's 'disruptive' migrants in adapted aircraft
By Robert Verkaik, Law Editor
Published: 27 December 2007

A company specialising in removing failed asylum-seekers is to approach the Government with plans to use specially adapted aircraft to deport hundreds of "disruptive" refugees.

Asylum Airways, run by an Austrian aviation consultant with ties to British security firms, will operate aircraft for European countries which do not wish to use established airlines for the forced removal of asylum-seekers.

The planes will have specially designed seats so that the "passengers" can be strapped down and restrained by guards. A deal could save the Government millions of pounds compared with the piecemeal contracts it has negotiated with dozens of airlines as well as reduce the number of aborted deportations.

Hundreds of asylum-seeker removals have had to be aborted in the past two years because of what the Home Office describes as "disruptive behaviour".

And in the past few months airlines have been criticised for carrying failed asylum-seekers, many of whom allege they have been physically and racially abused by private security guards paid to escort them.

Earlier this year XL airlines announced that it would no longer work with the Home Office in removing failed asylum-seekers. But British Airways and others argue that they have a legal duty to take asylum-seekers on their aircraft.

Heinz Berger, who has set up the Asylum Airlines company and has worked with British companies providing security at British airports, says that he is still involved with the "bureaucracy" of the scheme but has identified Britain as a key market for his service.

Mr Berger said that Britain was on a list of countries with whom he was seeking to do business. He said there was "ongoing interest all over Europe" for an airline that will organise flights around Europe, picking up failed asylum-seekers from various countries and then flying them back to their home nations around Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

A special feature will be bespoke aircraft with padded rooms and restraining equipment.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that the removal of hundreds of asylum-seekers each year has to be cancelled because of "disruptive behaviour". But this can include medical problems as well as complaints from passengers.

A spokeswoman for the Home Office said that while the Government was "open to new ideas" she said the present arrangements were working "pretty well".

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- jumping the gun a bit here, but if ever one of these f#@ckers landed at my local airport, they wouldn't be taking off again - guaranteed!
(btw, that's not incitement to commit criminal damage, it's incitement to RIOT!)




Josh

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

Who the hell does 'Heinz Berger' think he is?

27.12.2007 14:24

Had the same reaction myself. There is no way that this can be tolerated.
If the UK govt. goes ahead with this 'Asylum Airways' and their staff can expect to be the target of a direct action campaign.
It may however make things easier for no borders groups to have a major focus like this...

anti-State


Who? indeed

27.12.2007 19:44

deportation lawyer Hermann Heller, aviation consultant Heinz Berger and entepreneur Carl Julius Wagner
Photo:  http://www.voyantes.net/blog/?p=214

There were several stories about this last February and March, so I don't know how up-to-date the Independent article quoted above is.

Others
March 14th 2007:
 http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21379231-5006506,00.html

Hmmm, he has a "Dr" prefix:
"Dr Heinz Berger, who has set up the Asylum Airlines company"
 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=113&objectid=10484455

Mentioned in dispatches...
"Deportation lawyer Hermann Heller and aviation consultant Heinz Berger"
 http://www.ecre.org/node/825

?
Heinz Berger, aviation photographer:
 http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?photographersearch=Heinz%20BERGER&distinct_entry=true
Not sure if this is the same Heinz Berger. Anyone else have any info?

Searcher


The deportation industry

28.12.2007 12:51

"Asylum Airways, run by an Austrian aviation consultant with ties to British security firms"...
and who are these firms? Anybody know?

In the meantime British Airways are up to their neck in the deportation business, claiming - falsely - that they have a legal obligation to transport people to their death.

dignity not detention
mail e-mail: dignitynotdetention@yahoo.co.uk


background information in english and german

28.12.2007 18:16

No Borders demonstration in Gatwick on 22nd of September 2007
No Borders demonstration in Gatwick on 22nd of September 2007

In March 2007, 3 Austrians, the lawyer Hermann Heller, a well knonw racist, and the "experts" for aircrafts, Carl Julius Wagner and Heinz Berger presented their plans for a special adapted deportation-aircraft.

More in German:  http://no-racism.net/article/2012

-----

There were also mainstream media reports on this issue in Marrch 2007, here one in english:

Airline planned for asylum seekers

Article from: AAP March 14, 2007 12:00
 http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21379231-5006506,00.html

So vast has the number of deportees from Europe
become, that two enterprising businessman have
hatched an extraordinary plan - a new airline
exclusively for failed asylum seekers.

Asylum Airlines is set to be operative within
three months, complete with padded rooms for
troublemakers and meals - presumably with a halal
option - for passengers.

The flights will journey around Europe, picking
up failed asylum seekers from various countries
and then dispatching them back to their home
nations around Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Austrian deportation lawyer Hermann Heller and
Austrian aviation consultant Heinz Berger told
the Daily Express newspaper the new airline is in
negotiations with several governments across
Europe.

It was being promoted as a cost-efficient option
for governments compared to the current
arrangements on board commercial flights, with
Britain reportedly spending £315,000 ($776,900)
recently to deport just 15 Iraqis.

"Here in Austria, every time a deportee is sent
home on a regular flight, they need three seats,
not just for the deportee but for the policemen
on either side," Mr Heller said.

"Many airlines have already stopped taking asylum
seekers home because of unpleasant scenes.

"With a professional service the deportations
will be faster, chains will not be needed and the
deportees can enjoy a meal."

The planned flights will have guards, medical
staff and a representative of a human rights
group on board, though there is no immediate news
of plans for in-flight entertainment or a
frequent-flyer scheme.

no-racism.net
- Homepage: http://no-racism.net/deportatiNO