Saturday 13th March 2010
midday - 1pm
Demonstrate outside Harmondsworth immigration prison, Heathrow

Saturday 13th March 2010
midday - 1pm
Demonstrate outside Harmondsworth immigration prison, Heathrow

Detainee Solidarity London is calling for a demo this Saturday at Harmondsworth in solidarity with the 55 detainees on hunger strike since last week.

At any one time, over 2500 people are in immigration detention in the UK. Some have been detained for months, others for years. We call for the immediate closure of all detention centres and stand in solidarity with all those in Harmondsworth, Yarl's Wood and elsewhere resisting this barbaric practice.

Meeting points:
(1) 10am at Boots, corner of Piccadilly/Berkeley St (by Green Park Tube), or
(2) 11.30am at Heathrow Bus Station (catch the U3 to Harmondsworth), or
(3) 12 noon outside Harmondsworth, on the A4 (Colnbrook By-Pass), Heathrow

Please bring banners and instruments.

More info:  http://london.noborders.org.uk

Second Statement from the Harmondsworth hunger strikers:

1) The courts used at the detention centres are a mockery of the justice system, they are staged. It seems the outcomes are decided before the actual court appearance.

2) The Home Office appear to have put in place their own officials (solicitors, judges), both in the AIT courts and the High Court, to raise a high standard of failures in people's applications to boost their statistics.

3) There are people who have spent 5,8 or 10 years working hard in this country, who have never been involved in any criminal activities, please like religious leaders and many more, who are valuable to this country.

4) The immigration system in this country is a cold war that has separated familes and their loved ones, and has caused mental, physical and emotional torture to both detainees and their families.

5) Many people are in poor medical conditions to be kept in detention, some of whom have even been removed to their countries, yet their conditions can only be managed in the UK.

6) We are aiming for a fact finding mission, we recommend they send an independent body to come and audit, and interview detainees and also re-examine their cases.

7) People are being denied their bail rights even though they meet all the requirements needed. Detainees' sureties are not allowed in court after travelling from far distances to support bail applications.

8) The general treatment of detainees is very appalling e.g. medical treatment, security control etc. We wonder if such treatment as we are undergoing is an order from above.

In summary, considering the reputation of Great Britain, we fear this will jeopardize the good work of the great men and women of this country and the efforts of their forefathers.

____________________________________________________
Yarl's Wood Migrant Solidarity are calling a demonstration at 12pm on Sunday, 14 March in solidarity with the women on hunger strike in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre. We join these women in their protest against the detention of migrants. We support their bravery and we oppose immigration laws that restrict the freedom of movement of those in need.

We have chosen to act on Mother’s Day to highlight the cruel way that
migrant women, many of whom have come to the UK to seek respite from
violence and torture, have been separated from their families for no good
reason and at little notice. They have since been subjected to further
violence and humiliation within the immigration centre.

We support the hunger strikers at Yarl’s Wood in all of the demands that
they have issued. We support the hunger strikers at Harmsworth Immigration
Centre and in immigration centres in Italy. We are acting to express our
disgust at immigration laws and to re-affirm the belief that freedom of
movement is a human right. We are outraged by the fact that Serco are
controlling the Yarl’s Wood Immigration Centre in the interest of private
profit. We oppose the idea of national borders and nation-states as a whole
and we do not believe that there is any such thing as an illegal human
being.

We invite those who share in our beliefs, and anyone who opposes the
detention of migrants, the abuse of women and the separation of families, to
join us at 12 pm on Sunday, 14 March. Bring voices, whistles, drums and
anything else that makes a noise: we want the hunger strikers to know that
we are with them, and that they are not alone on Mother’s Day.

Hope to see you there...

Yarl's Wood Migrant Solidarity
 yarlswoodsolidarity@hushmail.com


A map for Yarl's Wood can be found here - * http://tinyurl.com/yc2gej3*

If you are travelling from Cambridge by car, and can offer a space to
anyone, please let us know so we can put you in touch with folk needing a
lift.

If you do not have your own transport and would like a lift, please get in
touch as we will be able to offer some spaces.

If you are relying on public transport, your best bet is to catch a bus to
Bedford - the X5 from Parkside, Bay 16 at 10:10am. Then call us on
07879793739 for a lift from there to Yarl's Wood (about 3 miles)

__________________________________________________

Asylum-seekers abused by security guards, says report

Official investigation backs claims first raised by The Independent two years ago

By Robert Verkaik, The Independent, Friday, 12 March 2010

 http://tinyurl.com/yharo5v