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STOP Prison Guards Housing Asylum Seekers - STOP G4S!

SYMAAG | 28.02.2012 20:12 | Migration | Sheffield

Regional Demonstration: Thursday 1st March

Assemble: 12.30 at Sheffield Town Hall. March to UK Borders Agency Regional HQ at Vulcan House, Millsands S3 8NS

"I don't want a prison guard as my landlord" - Zimbabwean asylum seeker in Sheffield

G4S (Group 4 Security) is the world's largest private security army and the biggest private UK company with contracts worth £600m for security, managing detention centres, prisons and 675 court and police station cells. Now G4S hope to get another £135million of our money - to privatise the housing of people seeking asylum, in "hostel accommodation". Dozens of council workers will also face job losses as a result.

G4S lost the contract for 'escorting' deported asylum seekers as a result of 773 complaints of abuse and the death of an asylum seeker. From March 1st asylum seekers in Yorkshire and Humberside are being expected to face them and their sub-contractors as their landlord. Join the campaign to stop them.

Organised by South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group.  http://www.symaag.org.uk/

Supported by Unison Local Government Branch Sheffield, Church Action on Poverty, ASSIST, Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign and many asylum and refugee community organisations

For more information see: SYMAAG website  http://www.symaag.org.uk/ (updated today) and No to G4S blog  http://notog4s.blogspot.com/

SYMAAG
- e-mail: dignitynotdetention@yahoo.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.symaag.org.uk/

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

is citizenship compulsory?

28.02.2012 21:03

It seems to me that you are not allowed to live in this land unless you are registered for social benefits and taxes, and when you are registered to the state the government behaves as though you are it's property. If you are not registered to the state the state treats you as a criminal. Can we not be allowed to just live and not have any interaction with the government at all?

anon


opting out of the government

28.02.2012 21:53

>> It seems to me that you are not allowed to live in this land unless you are registered for social benefits and taxes, and when you are registered to the state the government behaves as though you are it's property. If you are not registered to the state the state treats as a criminal. Can we not be allowed to just live and not have any interaction with the government at all?

Unfortunately, no. There are a lot of benefits that the state afford's people that arn't practical to opt-out.
For example:

1. Defence. The armed forces protect our borders from the historic barbarian hordes.
In olden times, you would need to protect yourself from other inhabitants of the country who would want to rob you of your food and kill you. Another example, would be something like an allotment, or farm land. Without the state, how would you ensure that your food wasn't stolen?
You would basically have to hire 24/7 security to do this. This actually is the norm in countries like Africa where people have to look after themselves. We generally don't have these worries, I can be pretty sure i'm not going to get murdered for my possessions. Something that I wouldn't be able to guarantee in the country without a police force or an army.

2. National Health. Obvious one that. Without any state, you'd have to pay everything yourself.

3. Infrastructure. Thats things like roads, pavements, public facilities, street lights, etc etc.
Unfortunately, you can't "opt out" of using this stuff. So it would be unfair on everyone else if you didn't pay your contribution.

4. State pension / Benefits etc. Any money from the state comes from Taxes. If you choose to have nothing to do with the state (opt-out), then by rights, you wouldn't be allowed these facilities. Perhaps, this is fine -- personally, I'd be happy to opt-out and use somekind of private insurance instead. However, they don't allow that - because if all the wealthier people opted out, then the poorer people left in would have to contribute more making the system unworkable. Basically, the wealthier people subsidise the poorer people here by paying larger amounts of tax (and rightfully so - because it would never work otherwise).

So, basically, all this stuff has to be paid for.
If you arn't making contributions then it is really unfair on everyone else who does because basically, you can't avoid using #1 and #3 even if you wanted to.

I think the 'treated like a criminal' is basically ensuring the providers (tax payers) are kept happy by ensure that the consumers aren't getting a free hand into stuff that the providers pay for.









anon


anon is no Marxist!

28.02.2012 22:32



1. Defence. The armed forces protect our borders from the historic barbarian hordes.
In olden times, you would need to protect yourself from other inhabitants of the country who would want to rob you of your food and kill you.

Where did you study History anon?
Do you mean like the Iraqi army tried to stop the barbarian UK/US Military Industrial Oil corps from invading and stealing the oil?





2%Human


@ anons

29.02.2012 00:09

While I don't have much time for this right wing libertarian opting out of citizenship/free man bullshit - I also wouldn't pay much attention to a lecture on the dubious benefits of nation states from someone who thinks Africa is a country.

biff


Reasons for accepting one's landlord as 0ne's master .

29.02.2012 09:16

#1. Because 0nes landlord is a security guard, with club, dog, and taser.

#2. ...probably just deal with #1.

Lord Edover