24 April 2006: The hunger strikes in Colnbrook have ended. Meanwhile, on 20 April, around 20 Turkish Kurdish detainees began hunger striking in Harmondsworth. A coalition of Kurdish organisations are planning a campaign of support. Here are some details about the situation in Colnbrook:
The hunger strike at Colnbrook Detention centre, near Heathrow, has now ended, and the sanctions against those on hunger strike (such as no access to IT, chapel, shop etc) have been lifted. But:
- Detainees within Colnbrook have formed a movement called 'Cry Freedom' within detention centres, to demand an end to detention.
- They had a meeting on Friday with a home office official, who has promised to look at all their cases individually, and they will have a further meeting today.
- John McDonnell, the MP for Harmondsworth, has been in touch with Charles Clarke's office, who have promised to send a Home Office minister to Colnbrook to talk with a delegation of detainees. They don't know when this meeting will be but when it happens they will make a delegation from each wing to send to the meeting.
- At this meeting they wish to discuss the issue of detention, as a whole, rather than just individual cases, particularly the length of time people are detained, the lack of any automatic bail review, reasons for detention and the quota-driven attitude of the home office.
- At the moment they don't wish to issue any public statement, but will wait for the outcome of this meeting.
However, on Thursday 20 April around 20 Turkish Kurdish detainees began hunger striking in Harmondsworth. A coalition of Kurdish organisations, are planning a campaign of support. At the time of writing this is ongoing.
- Detainees within Colnbrook have formed a movement called 'Cry Freedom' within detention centres, to demand an end to detention.
- They had a meeting on Friday with a home office official, who has promised to look at all their cases individually, and they will have a further meeting today.
- John McDonnell, the MP for Harmondsworth, has been in touch with Charles Clarke's office, who have promised to send a Home Office minister to Colnbrook to talk with a delegation of detainees. They don't know when this meeting will be but when it happens they will make a delegation from each wing to send to the meeting.
- At this meeting they wish to discuss the issue of detention, as a whole, rather than just individual cases, particularly the length of time people are detained, the lack of any automatic bail review, reasons for detention and the quota-driven attitude of the home office.
- At the moment they don't wish to issue any public statement, but will wait for the outcome of this meeting.
However, on Thursday 20 April around 20 Turkish Kurdish detainees began hunger striking in Harmondsworth. A coalition of Kurdish organisations, are planning a campaign of support. At the time of writing this is ongoing.
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