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UK Migration Newswire Archive

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YMCA press-gangs asylum seekers into slave labour protest

25-05-2005 18:33

Video Working on the chain gang
Human rights protesters visited the residence of the Bishop of Birmingham the morning of Tuesday 24th May to protest at his organisations involvement in the governments plans to force asylum seekers to work without pay, union rights or health and safety for basic human needs. Refugees will be forced under the scheme to perform degrading menial tasks for their meagre upkeep. If they refuse they will be made homeless and receive no support of any kind, and will be liable to be detained and deported.

The human rights protesters representing asylum seekers, symbolically chained together with the initials Y.M.C.A. branded on their backs, cleaned up the residence, removing dirt and grime from various points on the outside of the building.

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Join the Virtual Sit-In against the MinuteMen

24-05-2005 21:37

SWARM the Minuntemen invites people from all over the world who oppose racist violence to join the Electronic Disturbance Theatre action on May 27th, 28th and 29th, 2005 to engage in a virtual sit-in on the MinuteMen website during their "Unite to Fight" Summit.

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Say no to Asylum Slavery: DemonstrateTuesday 24th May 2005

24-05-2005 11:55

Say no to Asylum Slavery

Demonstrate Tuesday 24th May 2005

12.15pm to 2.00pm

Called by Merseyside Asylum Rights Campaign

Liverpool Council Building
Millenium House
60 Victoria Street
Liverpool
L1. 6JQ

There will be a demonstration outside Millenium House against the Home Office consultation on Section 10 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 2004 (minimum support for compulsory 'community service'). The consultation is taking place regarding the YMCA agreement to participate in this dreadful 'practice' and sadly Liverpool YMCA has agreed to run a pilot scheme. We must all let the YMCA know that they should now say NO.

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Campsfield demonstration Saturday 28/5

24-05-2005 08:10

Demonstration at Campsfield Detention Centre for Refugees - come and show your support to the people inside!

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WESSAMS LIFE - DEPORTED TO LIBYA - IN IMMEDIATE DANGER

23-05-2005 22:24

DUTCH GOVERNMENT VIOLATES HUMAN RIGHTS BY DEPORTING A GAY MAN BACK TO LIBYA WHERE IMPRISONMENT AND TORTURE AWAITS HIM!
SUPPORT GROUP FOUNDED, HOPES WESSAM WILL BE A ABLE TO REACH THE DUTCH EMBASSY, AND DEMANDS ASYLUM AS YET

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ANARCHIST IMMIGRANT ON HUNGER STRIKE FOR THE POLITICAL ASYLUM, GREECE

23-05-2005 20:56

POLITICAL ASYLUM TO BAHOZ NOW!
HUNGER STRIKE SINCE MAY 17
SOLIDARITY TO REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS

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S. KOREA. ACTION ALERT

23-05-2005 06:24

For the release of Anwar Hossain, the President of Migrant Trade Union

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Stop the YMCA slave labour scheme now!

18-05-2005 20:20

Liverpool YMCA is going to be the first voluntary sector agency to collude with the Home Office in the immigration slavery scheme introduced by section 10 of the 2004 legislation.

No One Is Illegal has sent the following letter. We would ask other individuals and organisations to do the same in their name. Also there is a consultation meeting with the YMCA and the Home Office about this on 24th May - 12.40 - 2.40 at Millenium House in Liverpool.

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City of Culture becomes City of Slavery with the help of the YMCA

18-05-2005 15:52

The Home Office have now ratcheted up the ante by re-introducing slavery through the form of 'voluntary service for people who have failed the Asylum System and needing subsistence and accommodation' with the assistance of the National YMCA Organisation.

Liverpool YMCA is going to be the first voluntary sector agency to collude with the Home Office in the immigration slavery scheme introduced by section 10 of the 2004 legislation.

While Liverpool is parading on its City Of Culture, 2008 Status (more like Culture of Capital, Here & Now), it would be worthwhile stating historical fact - Liverpool was home to the Slave Trade - and now in 2005, Liverpool could and may well become home to the New City Of Slavery.

The YMCA and the Home Office have called for a 'Closed Door' Meeting to be held at Liverpool City Councils Millenium House on Tuesday 24 May 2005 from 12:40 - 14:40hrs.

The aim of this meeting from what I can gather, is to 'embrace community dialogue' - through restricting the meeting to just a few (highly-paid & self-anointed) NGOs (whose own sources of revenue are probably paid for by the Home Office...)

The question is, can real community dialogue be achieved like this?

The meeting was posted on the SmartGroups Liverpool asylum seeker and refugee support group:

 http://www.smartgroups.com/message/viewdiscussion.cfm?gid=1256290&messageid=2609

----Section 4 Support - 'Voluntary Service'

>> There is a consultation meeting with the YMCA and
>> the Home Office about this on 24th May - 12.40 - 2.40
>> at Millenium House in Liverpool.

As you can see this is the only outside knowledge of this meeting.

I contacted the Liverpool YMCA today which people believe to be the site of the Pilot Scheme, and the Office Administrator has denied any knowledge of the meeting, but said that, "if it's not Liverpool then it might be Chester which will do it."

If the meeting is being held within Council premises, can Trade Unionists based within Millenium House please make and take action with regards to this?

UNISON, and other Unions the call-out for you is here.

Individuals with a conscience, please make your views heard on this subject.

The following links are related to this meeting:

YMCA slave labour scheme

Section 4 Support - 'Voluntary Service'

There is a consultation meeting with the YMCA and the Home Office
about this on 24th May - 12.40 - 2.40 at Millenium House in Liverpool.

 http://www.smartgroups.com/message/readmessage.cfm?gid=1256290&messageid=2602

IND has announced that YMCA England will be running a pilot exercise for Section 10 of the Asylum & Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Act in Liverpool.

Word document:

 http://www.asylumpolicy.info/mayiapnews.doc

YMCA England Statement following meeting with Church Action on Poverty, Boaz Trust and Churches Commission on Racial Justice

Word document:

 http://www.asylumpolicy.info/ymcastatement.doc

It is important that no-one allows this 'Pilot' to get off the ground.

While the YMCA may or could agree to the scheme, it can only be made unworkable if YMCA Staff take a stand on this issue - strike action, refuse on moral grounds, refuse on Health & Safety issues (will the refugees be given proper H&S training?)

Or perhaps I could 'release' the person out, if I saw a refugee doing what I called anything like 'labour'?

Or maybe, the homeless people within the YMCAs will start "getting refugees to do their 'dirty-work'", or cause deep divisions within already dis-enfranchised communities?

If this doesn't happen here, it could happen near YOU.

Maybe meet up at The Egg, Tuesday 24/05, 11:30am?

Anyone into it?

Banners, drums, trumpets, anything to make a party & noise.

Can the 'Outside Media' meaning The Echo/BBC do something on it?

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Big Oil & the World Bank et al: key meeting, LSE, Thursday May 19th

18-05-2005 10:11

*International Financial Institutions & Extractive Industries - Time for a Phase Out?*

New Theatre, London School of Economics
Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE

*Thursday 19th May 2005 18:30 - 20:30*

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Attempts to shut down SWARM the Minutemen.com

17-05-2005 18:27

A Scottsdale-based Internet company said Monday it will force one of its Web site clients to stop encouraging harassment of the Minuteman Project or face being shut down. Swarmtheminutemen.com is encouraging people to go into the desert border areas to blast their radios or bang pots and pans together in an effort to confuse and harass Minutemen volunteers.

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S. KOREA

15-05-2005 09:04

S. Korean government plans a new attack to smash the Migrant Workers Trade Union there.

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Minutemen respond to SWARM

13-05-2005 21:03

The MinuteMen is an armed vigilante group started to patrol the US/Mexico border. The SWARM the MinuteMen website was set up last week in response.

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BANNER THEATRE ON TOUR, JUNE AND JULY 2005

12-05-2005 11:43

BANNER THEATRE ON TOUR, JUNE AND JULY 2005

W I L D G E E S E
------------------

SONGS OF EXILE, SONGS OF MIGRATION
----------------------------------

WILD GEESE looks at migration from the point of view of the migrants themselves, exploring their hopes, dreams and often harsh realities. The show exposes the great divide between those who build fortunes from the forced migration of the world's peoples and those much vilified refugees, asylum seekers and 'economic migrants' forced to leave homes and loved ones in search of work, refuge and survival.

- "It is so important that people speak up about the issues of racism and of prejudice against refugees and asylum seekers, and I believe your production is a wonderful way of doing just that" (Tony Brett Young, Mayor, London Borough of Sutton)

- "It shocked me to see what Britain and America do to cause so many of the world's problems" (6th former, Swinton High School, Manchester)

- "A superb performance" (Peterborough Racial Equality Council)

Catch this exciting and informative new show at one of the following venues, or see the website,  http://www.bannertheatre.co.uk, for an up-to-date tour schedule:

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Traveller's Tales

09-05-2005 21:29

A unique occasion, several hundred people, 'travellers' & others, meeting at Digbeth's Irish Club, in Birmingham. To, as a Coalition, discuss, criticise & organise, re. matters relevant to gypsys, Romanys & a variety of travellers. Participants were mainly British, with a modest sprinkling of foreign delegates. Plus social workers, local authorities, university lecturers & some few curious or sympathetic 'Joe Public's.

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SWARM the MinuteMen!

09-05-2005 06:37

Enough is enough.

We reject everything about the minutemen. The minutemen function and exist when the rest of us, the vast majority of us, remain silent. Even in an environment of fear and uncertainty we all know that immigrants are not the reason for America's problems, nor should they be the powerless scapegoat. Because the vast majority of us look upon slavery, japanese interment and manifest destiny as sick, tragic pages in our history, we have no tolerance for these hyper-patriotic bigots, masquerading as virtuous citizens. It is our intention to resist, sabotage, and destroy this project before it gets any farther down this road of organized hate and violence.

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Regeneration or social cleansing?

08-05-2005 09:41

The community must be moved at all costs even if it involves violence. The service providers are supposed to provide the services, but instead they subjugate and oppress the community so that outside vested interests can impose their agendas onto the community

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Emile must stay!

06-05-2005 12:43

My name is Emile Youmbie De Souzato; I was born in Yaounde capital of Cameroon on 31/01/77 and was raised by my mother as my father left us when I was very young. We lived in a poverty stricken area and were eventually forced to live on the streets, as my mother was unable to support us financially. I was bullied as a child and tried to earn money to support us but it was very hard.

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Spoof Newspaper - The Hate Mail

05-05-2005 16:39

The Hate Mail. You are being lied to about asylum seekers. This Spoof newspaper is aimed at those sympathetic to the issues facing refugees but who need more info to help them become active in this area.

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Meeting about proposed new jail for asylum seekers

05-05-2005 09:32

Find out more about repression of innocent people on your doorstep.