Over a hundred Glaswegian asylum seekers and supporters, most of African origin, held a lively protest outside the Home Office Reporting Centre at Brand Street yesterday (Wednesday). They were protesting against the detention and attempted removal of Eddie Ngienga, Angelique Lukombo and their children, here since 1999.
Protesting in Brand Street
Pastor Daly and Brigitte on the PA
We Belong to Scotland!
In unseasonably sunny weather, the mood was defiant and upbeat. A PA system was there for speakers, who include Pastor Daly from Angola and Brigitte D, who won Leave to Remain after a hard fight just before Xmas. The protest was the biggest seen outside Band Street for some months and the singing could be heard halfway to Paisley Road. Two police riot vans rolled by but disappeared, leaving 4 beat cops to play with the many kids from the families.
Eddie and Angelique were picked up in the Home Office’s sweep of Congolese families in preparation for a mass removal by charter flight by XL Airlines, coded XL4334. Families were taken from Middlesbrough, Leeds, London, and Birmingham, as well as Glasgow. The flight is scheduled for Monday 26th February at 21:00 and there is a joint campaign by all the families to have this stopped. See
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/02/362906.html for details and a model protest letter / fax that you can use to register your disgust.
DR Congo is one of the most deadly places in the world. Since 1998 over four million lives have been lost in the DRC and though the war is over there is no 'peace' and deaths continue at the rate of 1,200 a week. Recruitment of child soldiers in the DRC continues unabated. The infrastructure of the country's hospitals, roads and power supplies are archaic and in some areas non-existent. One of the most incomprehensible things about John Reid’s action is that last month he brought in a number of people from DRC under the “Gateway Protection Programme” and gave them refugee status. Is it about appearances rather than sense, John? Surely not.
See also: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/02/362906.html
http://www.unitycentreglasgow.org
http://www.ncadc.org.uk/newszine79/charter2.html
Eddie and Angelique were picked up in the Home Office’s sweep of Congolese families in preparation for a mass removal by charter flight by XL Airlines, coded XL4334. Families were taken from Middlesbrough, Leeds, London, and Birmingham, as well as Glasgow. The flight is scheduled for Monday 26th February at 21:00 and there is a joint campaign by all the families to have this stopped. See
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/02/362906.html for details and a model protest letter / fax that you can use to register your disgust. DR Congo is one of the most deadly places in the world. Since 1998 over four million lives have been lost in the DRC and though the war is over there is no 'peace' and deaths continue at the rate of 1,200 a week. Recruitment of child soldiers in the DRC continues unabated. The infrastructure of the country's hospitals, roads and power supplies are archaic and in some areas non-existent. One of the most incomprehensible things about John Reid’s action is that last month he brought in a number of people from DRC under the “Gateway Protection Programme” and gave them refugee status. Is it about appearances rather than sense, John? Surely not.
See also:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/02/362906.html http://www.unitycentreglasgow.org http://www.ncadc.org.uk/newszine79/charter2.html 
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Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
looks arctic there!
22.02.2007 15:11
hope this helps
papa razi
cheers!
22.02.2007 16:13
mama mobi
Congo is not that bad
23.02.2007 05:46
AS
Concerned
25.02.2007 19:25
All failed asylum seekers are at risk when returned.
There is a great deal of evidence showing that deportees are routinely handed over by UK immigration escorts to the Congolese authorities (the offices of the director general of migration) an arm of the security services.
People have subsequently been held in Makala prison, those who can't bribe their way out or are seen as a threat to the government are at serious risk.
Recently a Human rights lawyer discovered two asylum seekers had been held in the prison for five years without charge. The UN describe the prison as'cruel and inhumane'.
A test case will hear evidence about the threat faced by deportees to the DRC on March 7th, this could put a stop to all removals. This flight must be stopped and all those held in detention centres immediately released.
Concerned