Talk from Unity Centre activist- Cardiff, Monday 13th October
A volunteer/ activist from the Unity Centre, Glasgow, will be visiting Cardiff next Monday to give a talk on how Unity organizes in Glasgow. The Unity Centre ( http://unitycentreglasgow.org/) offers advice and support for asylum applicants and migrants of any immigration status, and have helped with many successful campaigns against detention and deportation. This talk/discussion will be particularly useful for migrants and their supporters and for anyone wishing to find out more about getting involved in this.

All welcome. A free event,  noborderswales@riseup.net
 http://noborderswales.wordpress.com/

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Jean Pierre Gueutchue has left the UK
"Jean Pierre Gueutchue was forcibly removed from the UK on Monday 6th October 2008. He had spent the last four months in Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre in Oxfordshire, awaiting a decision from the Home Office about his future. The centre manager gave him his removal directions at lunchtime on Sunday 5th October, even though the faxed document showed it had been sent by the Home Office at 14.09 the previous day, it had been sat on for almost 24 hours. According to the Home Office, they did not need to give Jean Pierre the normal 72 hours notice for removal as his case was now at 'level 6'. According to them, as this was the 12th removal attempt, all previous requirements could now be overruled. This left his solicitor and supporters completely helpless.

Jean Pierre was removed from Campsfield in the middle of Sunday night and escorted to the airport by 3 guards, one driver and 2 policemen. The police stayed with him until the plane was ready to leave and he was met at the other end by more police who handcuffed him and put him in a cell, again filming all the time. Jean Pierre had to bribe the police officers to release him into the custody of another policeman so he could leave the cell. He was subsequently arrested and questioned again shortly afterwards, but released and told his case was not closed.

This forced removal was carried out even though the Cardiff MP, Julie Morgan had taken up Jean Pierre's case and requested an urgent meeting with the Immigration Minister."

Tracy Ellicott for the Campaign


Background: Jean Pierre Gueutchue Must Stay
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/archives/filed%20newszines/newszine89/JeanPierre.html

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“…an order for deportation against a Zimbabwean is absurd given the current policy relating to those whose home country is Zimbabwe."

Court of Appeal says no deportations against Zimbabweans
The Court of Appeal has recently promulgated a very brief judgment but with huge implications for people facing deportation proceedings. As with many others in his position, Mr Mvumi was in this legal limbo which meant he was not removable, but could not work. He resorted to buying and using fake documents to obtain work, including a passport, national insurance card, identity badges and a bank account in a different name. He was caught, prosecuted, and sentenced to a custodial sentence of eight months on the three counts of possession of an identity document with intent, fraud by making a false representation, and possession of an article for the purposes of fraud.
By Taffy Nyawanza, New Zimbabwe.com, Posted to the web: 09/10/2008
 http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/immigration33.18865.html

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Too many refugees denied their rights, despite recent gains – UN official
“UNHCR’s ability to extend protection is challenged in many regions by the absence of political will to support it and the disinclination to recognize that asylum is a non-political and humanitarian act. Asylum is viewed through the security prism in many parts of the world. This has meant denial to specified groups of access to the existing asylum procedures, with forced return or refoulement a repeated occurrence.”
– Far too many refugees and asylum-seekers still face intolerance and are denied their rights, even though the past year has witnessed some improvements in their treatment, according to the top protection official serving with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Full article: UN News Centre, 9 October 2008
 http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=28495&Cr=&Cr1=

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Taleban violence in Afghanistan is on the rise, say US agencies
American intelligence agencies are all agreed that Afghanistan is in a “downward spiral”, suffering from an increase in violence by the Taleban and rampant corruption in the Afghan government. A leaked draft of an American National Intelligence Estimate, which combines the views of all the agencies, paints a stark picture of failure after seven years of international effort to introduce stability into Afghanistan.
Full article: Michael Evans, Defence Editor The Times, October 10, 2008
 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4916540.ece

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End of Bulletin:

Source for this Message:
Jean Pierre Gueutchue Campaign
The Times
UN News Centre
New Zimbabwe.com
No Borders South Wales