UK Indymedia

Anti-deportation campaign for Notts family

01-10-2008 12:19

A popular family from Wilford had their home raided by immigration police on Monday. Brian, Chelsea and their mother Selina Adda from Ghana are now being held in Yarl's Wood IRC and due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Friday 3rd October on British Airways flight BA81 @ 14:15hrs from terminal 5 Heathrow to Accra, Ghana.

Selina came to the UK seeking asylum from a forced marriage to a man from another culutre in Ghana. Her sister recently committed suicide and she has no remaining friends and family in Ghana. The family's friends and asylum campaigners have begun a campaign to ensure that they stay in Nottingham.

Newswire: Sanctuary for Brian, Chelsea & Selina

Previous Features: Protests in Nottingham as Zimbabwe Goes to the Polls | Campaign Victories As Hich And Amdani Are Released On Bail | Nottingham Protests in Support of Detained Resident

Links: Nottingham and Notts Refugee Forum | National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns | Notts Indymedia Migration topic page

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Hunger strike in Campsfield as deportee takes his own life in Iraq

14-08-2008 10:25

Update: The Campsfield detainees ended their hunger strike "before anyone suffers ill effects from the hunger strike."

Some 50 refugees held at Campsfield immigration prison, near Oxford, are on hunger strike in protest at their continued detention. The hunger strike was started on August 9th by 13 Iraqi-Kurdish detainees, who demanded that forcible deportations to Northern Iraq are stopped. This is the second such protest at Campsfield this year and one of many throughout the UK detention estate.

Meanwhile, an Iraqi-Kurdish refugee has taken his own life after being forcibly returned to Iraqi Kurdistan. Hussein Ali shot himself in his home in Sulaimania on August 10th, two days after he was deported to Erbil via Jordan. An emergency demonstration in support of the hunger strikers, called by the Campaign to Close Campsfield, was held outside the immigration prison on August 12th.

Reports: Campsfield detainees on hunger strike | Unacceptable death of Hussein Ali | Two more deaths of asylum seekers

Links: National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigs | Campaign to Close Campsfield | International Federation of Iraqi Refugees | Coalition to Stop Deportations to Iraq | No Borders UK

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IOM Unwelcome in Birmingham

15-07-2008 23:03

The International Organisation against Migration, aka the International Organisation for Migration or IOM, held a 'conference' in Birmingham last month in preparation for opening a new regional office in the city. A handful of local activists did a banner drop at the four-star hotel where the event was held to unwelcome the dodgy organisation. They also gave out leaflets to the delegates to tell them the truth about IOM, whose real mission is to help Western governments 'manage migration' and meet their deportation quotas.

Reports: IOM Unwelcomed in Birmingham | IOM's new Birmingham office | Inside the IOM Birmingham conference | IOM Bribing Asylum Seekers to Return Home | The So-Called Voluntary Return

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Worldwide Protests Against the G8 Summit 2008

11-07-2008 09:00

The G8 2008 took place in Hokkaido, Japan, from July 7th to July 9th. As in the past years, people from all over the world protested against this summit and the capitalist system it represents [Pics] both in Japan and in many places around the globe.

On Saturday the 5th of July, the International Day of Action Against the G8, there were protests worldwide against this year's G8 Summit. In Japan, around 5000 people took to the streets in Sapporo despite ongoing police repression [Photos | Videos 1 | 2 | 3 | 4] whilst hundreds of people had previously taken to the streets in Tokyo and Kyoto. International solidarity actions also took place in several cities, including Bilbao, Stuttgart [Video], Dordrecht, Nijmegen, Paris, Singapore, Berlin, Reykjavik and Lisbon.

Closer to home, a picket outside the Japanese embassy in London took place on Friday the 4th, and for Saturday the 5th, and despite previous harassment by the Metropolitan police, a London Fete Against the G8 was called by London No Borders and other groups to demonstrate in solidarity with the protests in Japan, for the Freedom of Movement, and against Fortress Europe. The Day of Action around the UK Borders Agency started with a Critical Mass bike ride from Brixton to Croydon, the nerve centre of the Home Office's UK Border Agency, where several protests unfolded [Report | Photos 1 | 2 | Video]

From Monday 7th to Wednesday 9th, further days of action and blockades continued around the Summit location next to the Lake Toya in Hokkaido [Videos 1 | 2 | 3] A final statement by international activists was issued on Wednesday 9th after hundreds of activists joined a march called by the Hokkaido's Ainu indigenous communities. This was the concluding event of ten days of anti-G8 protests in Japan. The Japanese 'No! G8 Legal Team' issued an international call for further solidarity actions during the week of blockades [Second Call]. In London, a daily NO!G8 cafe was organised at the Bowl Court Social Centre to coincide with the G8 mobilisations, showing daily footage from Japan, screening films, presentations and discussions.

Check the Ticker, the G8MediaNetworkTV and IMC-Japan [Timeline (Eng)] for updates of worldwide actions and protests.

G8 2007 | G8 2006 | G8 2005 | UK IMC G8 2005 Topic

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Protests in Nottingham as Zimbabwe Goes to the Polls

29-06-2008 13:39

On Friday June 27, Zimbabwe went to the polls in the second round of its presidential election. This followed a first round in March. Concerned about the scale of state-directed violence against supporters, the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai had withdrawn on Sunday June 22, making a victory by the incumbent Robert Mugabe inevitable.

In Nottingham, the election was marked by the recently formed Nottingham Zimbabwe Community network (NZCN) who held a protest against deportations to Zimbabwe in Old Market Square and organised a public meeting at the Sumac Centre to discuss the situation in the country.

Newswire: Stop Forced Removals / Deportation of Zimbabweans | Demonstration Against Deportations to Zimbabwe | Report on Zimbabwe Film Showing | Stop Deportations To Zimbabwe Protest 27.06.08

Previous Feature: Nottingham's Zimbabwean Community Responds to Rigged Elections

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New Nerve Magazine Examines Migration

21-06-2008 20:31

The new edition of Nerve - Liverpool's grassroots arts and social issues magazine - is out, and this time the focus is on migration.

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Campaign Victories As Hich And Amdani Are Released On Bail

18-06-2008 08:09

By coincidence, the immigration bail hearings of two high profile Nottingham detainees took place on Monday 16th June. The hearings, conducted via video links from Dover Citadel (for Hicham Yezza) and Campsfield House in Oxfordshire (for Amdani Juma) both ended with the defendants being released while they fight their respective immigration cases.

Newswire: Amdani released on bail | Hicham Yezza released after 31 days in detention

Previous Features: Nottingham Protests in Support of Detained Resident | Another Nottingham Activist Detained For Deportation | Hundreds Join Demo for Academic Freedom and Against Deportation | Nottingham Uni Detainee Innocent But Still Facing Deportation | Anger Over "Terror Arrests" at Nottingham University

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Stop the Deportation of 'Tara Aryan'

15-06-2008 08:32

Tara Aryan is an Iranian refugee to the UK who converted to Christianity last year. The home office is trying to deport her to Iran. If they are sucessful she could face imprisonment or death for 'abandoning Islam'.

Tara has lived in Brighton for two years before being detained at Yarl's Wood Removal Centre. She was scheduled to be deported on Friday 13th June on a BMI flight from Heathrow. She was transferred to the airport but the removal was deferred after a judicial review was lodged by her solicitor. Tara is now detained again at Yarl's Wood.

Resources: Online Petition to grant Tara asylum

Links: Brighton Voices in Exile - See this site for updates on Tara's case

Media Coverage The Argus (Brighton) Christian Convert Could Face Death | The Argus - Final Plea by Woman Facing Iran Deportation

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Riot at Campsfield Detention Centre

14-06-2008 20:22

Reports are emerging of what appears to have been a riot at Campsfield House, an immigration detention centre in Oxfordshire. Details at this point are sketchy, but it appears that small fires were started and that detainees were returned to their cells by prison officers in riot gear. According to corporate media accounts, there was a heavy police presence with some 50 officers in attendance and a helicopter overhead. A cordon was set up and dog handlers patrolled the perimeter.

This is the latest in a series of "disturbances" at the facility. In August last year, 26 immigrants managed to escape. Prior to that in March, an Algerian man attempted to forcefully resist efforts by immigration authorities to remove him. When fellow detainees attempted to help him a riot ensued in which 2 detainees and 7 staff staff were hospitalised.

Newswire: Solidarity with Campsfield detainees | Riot at Campsfield IRC | Fire at Campsfield

Previous Features: 26 migrants escape immigration prison in Oxford | Resistance and Riot in Campsfield | Campsfield detainees on hunger strike | Close Campsfield Now!

Links: Campaign to Close Down Campsfield | No Borders Network | Indymedia UK Migration Topic Page

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Nottingham Protests in Support of Detained Resident

02-06-2008 23:35

The detention and imminent deportation of Amdani Juma, a well-known and widely liked local activist, has generated considerable anger in Nottingham. There have been two well attended demonstrations in the Market Square, one on Saturday 31 May and a second on Monday 2 June. The latter was particularly successful at generating media interest, going out live on Central News.

The anger felt by many at Amdani's detention was only compounded by police intimidation of participants in the first demonstration that they should have sought permission and would be expected to do so for the second. This suggests a worrying ignorance of the law on the part of the Sergeant 2471. He told protesters that Section 11 of the Public Order Act 1986 required that they obtain permission for any assemblies, despite the fact that that section clearly relates only to processions and marches and not to static assemblies. When it came to it, the police presence on Monday evening was minimal, although a Community Protection Officer with a CCTV camera attached to his head was prominently visible.

Urgent Action: Amdani Juma: Questions for Liam Byrne | Amdani Juma: Letter to the airline | Amdani Juma: Petition | Amdani Juma: Letter to Home Office | Online Petition

Newswire: A message from Amdani in Lindholme detention centre | Demo to support Amdani Juma, Nottingham activist, at risk of deportation - Pics | It is OUR square and it is OUR right to protest in it whenever we want | A demonstration in support of Amdani Juma Saturday 31st May @ 12.30

Photos: Demo to support Amdani Juma, Nottingham activist, at risk of deportation - Saturdays Pics | Demo to support Amdani Juma, activist, at risk of deportation - Mondays Pics | CPO's with HeadCam, at protests against deportation of Amdani Juma

Previous Features: Another Nottingham Activist Detained For Deportation | Refugees In Need Of Community Protection? | Nottingham Asylum-Seekers will be Heard

Links: Friends of Amdani | Nottingham and Notts Refugee Forum | Nottingham Refugee Campaign Group | No Borders Nottingham | Notts Indymedia Migration topic page

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Another Nottingham Activist Detained For Deportation

31-05-2008 17:21

Over the last week, the deportation of Hicham Yezza, now stayed to allow for a judicial review, has attracted a huge amount of attention. Whilst the circumstances surrounding Hich's initial arrest were unusual, in an increasingly anti-migrant political climate, the horrific way he has been treated by immigration authorities is all too common.

Amdani Juma, a Nottingham activist and a survivor from Burundi but whose appeal for Indefinite Leave to Remain was turned down by the Home Office on 5th December, was detained whilst reporting at Loughborough reporting centre on 30th May. He remains in detention and has received notice that his removal is set for Wednesday 4th June on Kenya Airways flight KQ101 (Terminal 4, Heathrow). Amdani's case has previously been reported on the Refugee Forum website.

Tragically, Amdani is not the only asylum seeker to have been abducted by the authorities this week. Nottingham and Notts Refugee Forum volunteer Jane Mary Mutets, was detained at Bridewell Police Station on Thursday 29th May. Concerned supporters fear she will also face deportation and expect her to be moved elsewhere by immigration authorities.

Urgent Action: Amdani Juma: Questions for Liam Byrne | Amdani Juma: Letter to the airline | Amdani Juma: Petition | Amdani Juma: Letter to Home Office | Online Petition

Photos: Demo to support Amdani Juma, Nottingham activist, at risk of deportation - Saturdays Pics | Demo to support Amdani Juma, activist, at risk of deportation - Mondays Pics

Newswire: Amdani Juma: Press Release | A demonstration in support of Amdani Juma Saturday 31st May @ 12.30 | Amdani detained, Jane-Mary detained yesterday | Nottingham Celebrates Mayday with Moazzam Begg | Sponsor Amdani Juma, Walking for Leicestershire AIDS Support | Jane Mary Mutetsi and Felicia Sakwe still here! | Jane Mary Mutetsi belongs to Nottingham

Links: Friends of Amdani | Nottingham and Notts Refugee Forum | Nottingham Refugee Campaign Group | No Borders Nottingham | Notts Indymedia Migration topic page

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Hundreds Join Demo for Academic Freedom and Against Deportation

29-05-2008 19:20

On Wednesday May 28, students and academics held at protest at the University of Nottingham in defence of academic freedom and against the imminent deportation of former student and university staff member Hicham Yezza. The protest was called following the "anti-terror" arrests which saw Hicham and Rizwaan Sabir, a student acquaintance, detained for almost a week for possession of documents Sabir had downloaded as part of his research into political Islam. After it became clear on Friday May 23 that Hicham was facing imminent deportation, the focus of the protest inevitably shifted.

At 2pm there was a public reading of the "radical materials" which had led to the original arrest. The crowd was addressed by Alan Simpson MP before marching down to the Trent Building (where the university autorities are based) where people assembled in near total silence.

Photos: Nottingham University Demo for Academic Freedom & Against Deportation - Readings | Nottingham Uni Demo for Academic Freedom & Against Deportation - Silent March

Newswire: Hicham Yezza Interview | Press release: Nottingham University demonstration | For academic freedom and against deportation

Previous Features: Nottingham Uni Detainee Innocent But Still Facing Deportation | Anger Over "Terror Arrests" at Nottingham University

Links: Stop the Deportation of Hicham Yezza | National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns | Nottingham University

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Nottingham Uni Detainee Innocent But Still Facing Deportation

23-05-2008 21:10

Hicham Yezza, one of the two men who were arrested at Nottingham University under the Terrorism Act 2000 on Wednesday 14th May is facing imminent deportation. Both men were released without charge after having been detained for 7 days. But Hicham, a 30-year old member of university staff and non-British national was immediately re-arrested under immigration legislation.

This is clearly a politically motivated action to try and kill the story of the original arrests to cover up the initial embarrassment. This is an attempt to circumvent the criminal justice system and push him out of the country without the usual court process. He has now been moved to a detention centre and faces deportation on Sunday 1st June. Hicham is well-known, widely liked and active on campus. Students, lecturers and the wider community have started mobilising to stop his deportation. See report and pics of the demonstration for academic freedom and against Hicham Yezza's deportation that took place in Nottingham University on the 28th May.

Audio: as featured in #5 the June Show ~ Riseup! Radio

Newswire: Comment on University Communication on Recent Events | University of Nottingham Graduate and Employee Facing Imminent Deportation Without Hearing | Notts Uni detainee innocent but still facing deportation

Feature: Anger Over "Terror Arrests" at Nottingham University

Website: Stop the Deportation of Hicham Yezza

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Nottingham Celebrates Mayday

05-05-2008 18:18

Mayday has been celebrated in one form or another for thousands of years. Pagans marked the day as the end of the hardships of winter. Following the struggle amongst American workers for the eight hour day and the murder by the US state of four anarchists involved in that struggle in 1886, the day has come to be marked as International Workers' Day.

In Nottingham this year, there were two Mayday events, both organised by the Mayday Organising Committee, an off-shoot of the Nottingham Refugee Campaign Group. As has happened for the past few years, there was a march and rally, starting and ending at the Brewhouse Yard on the Saturday May 3. The second event was a public meeting held on May 1 itself, addressed by local asylum seeker Amdani Juma and former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg.

Newswire: Nottingham May Day 1 Pictures - Event | Nottingham May Day 2 Pictures - Parade | Mayday march and rally in Nottingham | Nottingham Celebrates Mayday with Moazzam Begg

Previous Features: Mayday! Mayday! Celebrations in Nottingham (2007) | Mayday in the East Midlands (2006)

Links: Nottingham Refugee Campaign Group | Wikipedia on Mayday

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Detained Mothers on Hunger Strike in Yarl's Wood

16-04-2008 11:00

Seven mothers in the family unit in Yarl's Wood immigration prison are on hunger strike since Thursday, April 10th. They include two breast-feeding mothers. A protest involving up to 15 families started last Thursday, when a mother with her baby, who were to be taken to the airport, took refuge in the 'church' and refused to leave.

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Once again, Harmondsworth hunger strike broken violently

08-04-2008 14:16

Update: Although the majority of detainees in Harmondsworth have resumed eating after the repression, some are still refusing to eat [more].

On Saturday, 5th April, between 5 and 6am, around 50 police in riot gear stormed the Harmondsworth immigration prison, near Heathrow, to break the detainees hunger strike who were protesting against the so-called fast track asylum system. They took 30 detainees away and most of them were put in solitary confinement or taken into normal prisons to prevent them from communicating with each other and the outside world. One detainee, who managed to contact supporters, said he was bruised all over his body, had injuries from handcuffs and a damaged ankle. He also reported that he saw another detainee being violently 'manhandled' by police.

The detainees' peaceful protest had started at 9am on April 1st, with mass food refusal by almost all of the detainees in the so-called immigration removal centre. Later, they also occupied the courtyard and around 120 of them remained there all night. A petition, with 116 signatures, has been sent to the European Court of Human Rights, John McDonnell MP and others (see also supporters' press release).

Links: No Borders London | No Borders UK | National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns | Indymedia UK's Migration page

Previous protests inside/at Harmondsworth: November 2006 | April 2006 | January 2006 | July 2004 | The Harmondsworth Four acquitted

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Nottingham's Zimbabwean Community Responds to Rigged Elections

04-04-2008 14:12

On March 29 Zimbabwe went to the polls. The election was widely criticised with accusations of vote rigging, state orchestrated media bias and violent intimidation of opposition activists. The outcome was generally considered a foregone conclusion, which would have little to do with the opinions of most Zimbabweans and early indications are that these concerns were well placed, although events now seem to have taken a more complicated turn.

In Nottingham the Zimbabwean community used the election to draw attention to the situation in their country and camapaign against the threat of deportation which many Zimbabwean asylum seekers face. They organised a meeting at the Sumac Centre on March 28 and held at protest at Nottingham's new speakers corner on March 28.

Audio: Interviews at demonstration | NIMC interview with Zimbabwean Activist

Photo: Zimbabwean Asylum Rights Demo @ Speakers Corner, Nottingham | Nottingham Zimbabwe demo calling for release of election results

Newswire: No result in Zimbabwe elections | Nottingham’s Zimbabwean Community stand together | Zimbabwean Asylum Rights Demo @ Speakers Corner, Nottingham | Notts Indymedia Migration Topic Page

Previous Features: Refugees In Need Of Community Protection? | Situation in the Congo is worsening as deportations continue | Nottingham Protest against Deportations to Northern Iraq (Kurdistan) :: Pictures

Links: No Borders Nottingham | Nottingham and Notts Refugee Forum | Nottingham Refugee Campaign Group | The Zimbabwean | Zimbabwe Indymedia (archive)

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The Harmondsworth Four acquitted

22-02-2008 19:50

The four migrants accused of "conspiracy to commit violent disorder" during the Harmondsworth uprising in 2006 were today found not guilty. Relying on a clearly insufficiently indoctrinated jury, the attempt to single out and punish few individuals with violent criminal convictions and long sentences has been thwarted. Of course, all four have already served one year and three months in prison, on top of varying times in immigration detention. Now they will have to resume their struggle against the immigration system, which imprisoned them for seeking refuge in the first place, and will most probably be dispersed around Britain's detention estate until their cases are 'resolved'.

Today the Support the Harmondsworth Four Campaign held a protest outside Sodexho's London headquarters. There had been a solidarity protest outside the court every Monday [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5].

Background: letter from two of the Harmondsworth 4 to Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! | 'Report of the Investigation into the disturbances at Harmondsworth and Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centres', Robert Whalley | Chief Inspectors of Prison Report on Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre

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Dawn raids stopped on UN International Migrants Day

18-12-2007 15:16

On Tuesday 18/12/07, activists from the No Borders Network, marked UN International Migrant's Day, by blockading immigration reporting centres in Glasgow, Bristol, Newcastle and Portsmouth. Arriving at the centres in the early hours of the morning, the activists aimed to prevent Immigration Enforcement Officers from staging dawn raids, in which families are often rounded up in preparation for removal to countries from which they have been forced to flee.

In Bristol, activists arrived in time to lock onto vehicles, and a police officer wasoverheard confirming that a dawn raid had been planned. In Portsmouth, activists were locked onto the swing barrier and gates by 4.30am and believe that another dawn raid from that site was thwarted. Glasgow activists were in place by 5.30am when Immigration Enforcement Officers arrived and were unable to leave the car park with their vehicles due to a tripod, and people d-locked to the gates. Newcastle activists dressed in Santa outfits locked onto the gates and used arm tubes to prevent vehicles from leaving the car parks. 2 of the Glasgow activists were cut free from their D-locks and arrested, whilst a tripod continued to ensure that vehicles could not leave the car park. Activists at the other sites were able to leave without any arrests taking place.

In Manchester, the local Immigration Reporting Centre Dallas Court had its gates locked with a motorcycle chain, and a banner reading "Caution snatch squads – we are watching you” was hung. Later, at 10 am, the Home Office in Marsham Street SW1, London was disrupted after activists blocked the entrance and unfurled a large banner declaring "No Child is Illegal: Child Detention is a Crime".

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Dignity Not Detention!

30-10-2007 10:08

Asylum seekers, refugees, trade unionists and supporters from all over the North marched from the Home Office in Sheffield to Lindholme Detention centre near Doncaster between 26-28th October. The marchers were demanding "The right to work for asylum seekers" and stating that "Seeking asylum is not a crime." They finished at Lindholme immigration removals centre, the nearest such centre to Nottinghamshire, where asylum seekers are often held without having committed any criminal offence. The demonstration there on Sunday 28th was joined by supporters from Nottingham.

A rally was held at the fence of Lindholme and the marchers could hear detainees inside chanting in response to them. A candlelit vigil for those who'd died in detention centres was held and speakers from many countries, including the Congo, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Iran, Iraq and South Africa spoke. The demonstration is the latest in a series of protests at Lindholme making the demand to "Shut Down Lindholme!"

Links: "Dignity Not Detention" March on Lindholme | Photos from the start of the "Dignity Not Detention" march on Lindholme | The start of the "Dignity Not Detention" march on Lindholme (Pitsmoor) | Dignity Not Detention! march arrives at Lindholme | Dignity Not Detention! leaflet (pdf)

Previously at Lindholme: No Borders demonstration at Lindholme Immigration Removals Centre | Lindholme Noise Demo Photos | 10 Lindholme Detainees still free | Detainees held in 'filthy' conditions, Lindholme, nr Doncaster

In Notts: Nottingham demo called against deportation charter flight to DR Congo | Nottingham Congolese Community demonstrated against continued deportations | No Borders Nottingham 'National Day of Action on Asylum Rights' | Mayday in Nottingham (Round Two)