Campsfield House
Langford Lane
Kidlington
Oxfordshire OX5 1RE

(Its not terribly easy to get there by public transport, but possible. If you can get yourself there I'm sure there will be someone kind enough to give you a lift back into Oxford.)


Statement from detainees in Campsfield released yesterday afternoon by email:

"Unlawful Detention of Detainees


147 detainees are staging a protest by refusing meals at Campsfield
immigration removal centre. The protest erupted as a result of the
treatment of detainees in detention centres especially for people who
have been detained for a long period of time. We continue to refuse
meals indefinitely for our voices to be heard.

Some of us detainees have been detained for over 3 years with no
prospect of removal or any evidence of future release. There is no
justification whatsoever for detaining us for such period of time. Our
lives incidentally have been stalled without any hope of living a
life, having a family or any future. More often than not, we are been
detained even when our family (wife and children) are resident in the
United Kingdom, depriving us of having a life with our family. We the
detainees are also humans.

In certain cases, some of us are tortured and even face death or
mental distress. On 14 April 2010, a detainee of Kenya national Eliud
Nyenze died at Oakington IRC due to negligence. Mr. Nyenze, age 40,
had a heart attack, requested for painkillers, repeatedly and kept
crawling around the floor in pain before he died.

Detainees are currently undergoing mental stress with some of us
developing mental problems on a monthly basis. We are issued removal
directions without given enough time for an appeal.

It has become a habit by the UK Border Agency to use force in
enforcing removal of detainees who have a pending Judicial Review
without giving appropriate time or consideration to our case and
forcing our removal before our cases are concluded. In some
situations, we are not given enough time to appeal against the
decision which breaches our rights under Article 6 of the ECHR. Our
liberty and security has been taking away.

We as foreign nationals are often been criminalised for the purpose of
detention and removal as the law under the European Convention of
Human Rights permits the removal of foreigners who have established
there lives in the United Kingdom and are a treat to national
security. Foreign nationals are now been sent to prison for 12 months
custodial sentence or more prompting the deportation of such
individual. Removals are enforced on specially chartered flights with
security personnel who abuse and torture detainees in the process.
Detainees are restrained, strapped, beating and forced on the airplane.

On 26 July 2010, one of the detainee at Campsfield attempted suicide
due to the level of treatment received at the detention centre.

The Amnesty International has also reported that our detention
breaches the internationally recognised human rights.

On a regular basis, we are tortured, restrained, strapped like animals
and beating to effect removal. This cannot be lawful given that there
is provision within the ECHR convention that prohibits torture both
mentally and physically.

We painfully ask that the government, the house of parliament, the
house of common, the parliamentarians and all concerned to rise to our
aid and address these issues that affects not only our lives and our
future but the lives and future of the thousands of our families who
are constantly under pain and torture.

Detainees - Campsfield House"

Monthly meeting of local group Campaign to Close Campsfield will also be held tonight 7:30 @ Oxford Town Hall