While the number of forced deportations is alreadly reaching unprecedented records, and asylum seekers of ceratin nationalities (Iraqis and Zimbabweans, for example) are facing the prospect of mass deportation campaigns in the near future, Birmingham NoBorders and Birmingham Anti-Racist Campaign are holding their monthly picket at the immigration reporting centre in Solihull this coming Friday, 25 August, 2006.
The picket at Sandford House (41 Homer Road, Solihull) will start at 12 noon to highlight this dim reality and demand an end to all deportations of asylum seekers. Come along and show your anger and disgust!
Acorrding to the Home Office figures, 4,480 'principal applicants' were 'removed' in the the 2nd quarter of 2006 (5,070 including dependants). This is 3% higher than in Q1 (4,330), and 36% more than in Q2 2005 (3,285). The five nationalities accounting for the highest number of deportations were Iraqi, Turkish, Serbian & Montenegrin, Afghan and Pakistani. 38% of these 5,070 (i.e. 1,900) were removed under the so-called Assisted Voluntary Return schemes.
Faced with this dim reality, a number of failed and successful asylum seekers, along with their supporters, met in Birmingham last week to build up campaigns against their possible deportation. The result was reviving the West Midlands Anti-Deportation Campaigns (WMADC), which disbanded in 2000, after 15 years of successful campaigns.