This was an action to highlight XL's deportation of 40 asuyum seekers, including children, to DRCongo in February 2007, in the light of deportation orders having been handed out for the 31st August 2007. In September 2007 XL withdrew from it's deportation contract with the Home Office (£1.5 million for DRC flights, also to Afghanistan and elsewhere), expressing 'sympathy for refugees and asylum seekers'. While in their offices, managers were keen to argue that they were entitled to carry out economic contracts and 'didn't care' about the people on their deportation flights. Sympathy or damage limitation for this holiday charter firm?

The DRCongo has been destabilised by wars so that its natural resources can be extracted. It was the view of those on the action that people fleeing the instability in DRC are partly environmental refugees and the repressive attitude to refugees and asylum seekers in this country is part of a hardening-up process as climate chaos increasingly impacts on people and planet. (This is a very brief analysis!)The action happened as part of the Camp for Climate action, taking direct action from Heathrow to Gatwick in anticipation of the No Borders camp.

Lesson learnt - pressure on these airlines works.

Court hearing is all day Thursday and Friday at Horsham magistrates, if anyone wants to turn up for any of it and show your support. Direct aid (like money) and offering practical help to refugee community groups is also a good way to express your support.