| Events |
Read more about upcoming events on the
Events page.
Demonstration at Harmondsworth and Colnbrook
2006-04-08 -
London
Scotland International Day of Action
2006-04-08 -
Glasgow
Communications House Demonstration
2006-04-10 -
London
Demonstration and March in Manchester
2006-04-15 -
Manchester
Demonstration at Campsfield House
2006-04-29 -
Oxford
Convergence on Villawood Detention Centre
2006-04-14 -
Australia
Solidarity Vigil at Perth Detention Centre
2006-04-?? -
Australia
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2003-01-29:
Appeal for Urgent Intervention
Appeal For Urgent Intervention!
Fellow human beings, fellow mankind, it is with great sincerity that I make this desperate appeal for your timely intervention in the horrifying and pathetic plight of asylum seekers in UK detained at HMP Rochester, Kent under Immigration Act 1971.
A subjected people have by right under universal standards and human principles the obligation to seek redress by any means internationally acceptable. I hold the view that all men were created equal and by virtue of their existence are vested with certain inalienable rights to be the sole masters of their destiny.
This has not been the case with asylum seekers in UK detained at HMP Rochester who from the beginning, because of their accommodating attitudes, have been slowly stripped of their human rights. With the oppressor's mechanism of 02/10/00, now working full time to completely dehumanise and emasculate our people no matter what means including genocide. It is therefore time for asylum seekers in Rochester, Kent, and humanity as a whole to fight back.
Many people may not readily understand or agree with the reasons why asylum seekers should be clamouring to restore their rights equally as any other human being.
Asylum seekers detained at the notorious HMP Rochester are treated worse than convicted criminals detained at the same HMP. Asylum seekers are held indefinitely without trial or initial decision on a claim made. This decision is taken by the Immigration Service which does not explain the decision in detail to the persons concerned.
Asylum seekers held at HMP Rochester, Kent, have fewer rights than suspected criminals and often do not understand why they are being held indefinitely. Not surprisingly, this causes mental anguish among detainees, many of whom may have already survived horrendous ordeals in their own countries. The whole process of asylum seeking and being detained for a lengthy period of time in UK is extremely humiliating and distressing.
The way to refugee status, is a long way to go. At HMP Rochester, Kent, the Echo and Delta wings where asylum seekers are been detained for this lengthy period, has rectangular dimensions of sixty by fourteen metres (60 x l4ms). Cells are four by four metres (4 x 4ms) toilet included, two inmates per cell. The sixty by six metres at the middle of the two buildings is for games. Inmates are not allowed to move beyond the sixty by six metre area. Echo wing houses one hundred and fifteen whilst Delta about sixty-five inmates. Out of twenty-four hours a day, you are allowed six hours only at the sixty by six metres area, whilst for eighteen hours you are locked up in your cell.
Being locked up makes you appreciate your freedom. Out of everything in life, losing your freedom is the hardest situation to deal with. No one listens in our society any more. If you put a foot wrong, you are never forgiven; "you are not allowed to forget". We should learn to forgive and forget for we can always reshape the future, but we can't reshape the past.
Inmates have attempted serious self-harm and nobody cares. Medication is a forgotten issue, if you happen to be sick, the grave should be your next home. Both medical and wing staff abuse asylum seekers racially, call them 'Kunta Kinte' and used words like "you all will be deported poor people, to the black coloured monkeys". It's awful. I can't tell how awful I feel. The secret self ever more secret, unhappy misled; "unless you know where you are, you don't known who you are."
In a recent survey of 02/10/00, several inmates were seriously brutalised by five Echo wing members of staff in my presence and that of other inmates for doing absolutely nothing. Inmates from Delta report a Kenyan that had been detained for fifteen months by Immigration Service without trial roasted himself in his cell on the night of October 5th. None of the inmates knows his whereabouts as from that night to date. Life without freedom is a high price to pay.
Asylum seekers are kept in prison without charge, the sound of doors slamming and the ever-constant keys echoing around the wing, become our early morning wake up. If we are on remand, when are we going to be sentenced? It's a question without an answer.
Expired foodstuffs are always given to asylum seekers at HMP Rochester. When questioned, you are threatened to be taken to the segregation unit. On September 25th a verbal system was implemented by the governor, whereby asylum seekers detained at HMP Rochester must work seven hours in a workshop job for 0.25 pence per hour. He who refuses, is locked up till those in the workshop are back in the wing.
Today October 10th inmates are served with the workshop compulsory memo. For God's sake, where on earth is an adult human being forced to do a job not of his/her choice and to be paid 0.25 pence/hour? Is it modern slavery? Where are we? Third world or first world? Some inmates have been trying to draw the attention of media, but once you are noticed, you are transferred to the segregation unit.
On October, on the day I was to publish my appeal for urgent intervention, a member of education department whose name was not made known to me, betrayed me ito the governor. At about 13.10 hours, five members of staff rushed into my cell, moved out my fellow inmate to the TV room and seized all the appeal papers printed ready to be dispatched. That governor ordered the seizure.
As a detainee have I not got the right to express my view to the media? We live at tiptoe stance never knowing what to expect next as thousands of asylum seekers live in internal exile being continuously hunted for outright elimination like dogs. To us as people, there can be neither peace nor progress where unrestrained repression, assimilation, exploitation and human inequality reign supreme.
To you comrades, also battling your own personal hell; I wish you courage and with God's blessings a happy ending to all your woes. It will also help all of us disadvantaged people, to get together and aid each other in any way possible. To all of you, whom God has blessed with justice, humanity's most cherished gift, human dignity and freedom, help us, the not so fortunate so we can have a semblance of it someday.
The situation now brewing here at HMP Rochester, has the potential of making the asylum seekers the flash point of a dangerous regional conflict. I cannot believe that anyone could imagine that detaining asylum seekers, or any other human being, in prison is the right thing to do.
My appeal for Urgent Intervention (letter of October 9th 2000) against HMP Rochester administration and the Immigration authorities resulted in a removal from HMP Rochester on November 23rd 2000 to HOHC (Prison) Haslar.
HOHC (Prison) Haslar, being controlled by prison staff, is no different in its regime against asylum seekers held there. Today I have again exposed HOHC (Prison) Haslar administration and the Immigration authorities' ill treatment of asylum seekers held in there in my letter of 22/01/01 "Asylum Seekers Facing Life in Prisons (Behind Bars)." I have been moved unexpectedly from HOHC (Prison) Haslar to HMP Belmarsh on February 2nd 2001 as a punishment for my letter. At HMP Belmarsh asylum seekers (Immigration Detainees) are mixed up with remand and convicted prisoners
Reaching HMP Belmarsh, that became one of the prisons holding asylum seekers in October/November 2000, what I witness in the treatment meted out to immigration detainees held here is unbelievable, unacceptable to today's society and unwelcoming. It is against human nature.
a) Asylum seekers are mixed up on spur or wing and in cells with convicted criminals and remand prisoners.
b) Asylum seekers are "banged up" twenty-three hours out of twenty-four hours a day and some days they are "banged up" twenty-four hours.
c) No access to incoming calls or FAX to/from solicitors in case of emergency or urgent letter/message.
d) Asylum seekers are allowed to go to the canteen once a week and for one hour, 30 minutes or two hours only. If you happen to be late, no canteen for you that week.
e) No respect for asylum seekers. Words like "e;the government is spending more on asylum seekers" and bullying by prison staff become first and second nature to asylum seekers at Belmarsh. Despite the fact that bullying or racial language is unacceptable under prison rules.
f) Bibs must be worn by asylum seekers while in the social visits hall.
g) The food standard is another issue to be addressed. Poor cooking; rice is served to detainees often without sauce; quantity and quality of food served is unbearable. If you ask for more food, despite the poor quality, which only a few detainees like me are bold enough to ask, the reply you get from prison staff is "if you are not happy with the food, you find your way back to your country".
On February 6th 2001, I put in an application to see the number one Governor, which I have already discussed with a member of staff. He gave me the go ahead. Unfortunately this application was turned down by another member of staff, who said that I am not allowed to see the governor as a detainee. I consider this an abuse of Article 10 and 14 of the Human Rights Act.
A Somalian asylum seeker detained at Belmarsh House block 3, was physically assaulted by a member of staff on February 12th 2001 at about 11.50 am. He had tooth ache pains. He drew the attention of a member of staff to take him to the health care. A member of staff came. Instead of taking the detainee to health care, he moved out his cellmate and butted him and beat his back on the wall, saying "You bloody fucking African. If you are sick go back to Africa". The member of staff was accompanied by two others. I refer this act to Schedule I, Article 3 of the Human Rights Act, as explained by para 3.24 of the Home Office Study Guide. Inmates opposite were witnesses to the drama.
There have been threats of mass suicide from asylum seekers detained in HMP Belmarsh as well as many attempted escapes. These are the reactions of desperate human beings who, having fled persecution in their own countries, suffer further hardship under Britain's much-criticised mandatory detention regime. Despite the fact that freedom from arbitrary deprivation of liberty is a fundamental human right - Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "No one shall be subject to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile."
Despite political assurances that such a policy is intended for the benefit of "genuine" asylum seekers, the reality is that detention is a simplistic and ill-conceived method of deterring future arrivals of asylum seekers in the UK. A suitable welcome for asylum seekers would be one that validates their freedom, rather than placing them behind bars.
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Latest News |
Demonstration at Harmondsworth/Colnbrook, 12:00 noon, Sunday, 2nd December
2006-12-2 -
called by Barbed Wire Britain, in support of Harmondsworth detainees' protests this week, and demanding that:
- The Home Office to be Prosecuted for Recklessly Endangering Lives
- Full Public Inquiry into Home Office Repeated Failure to Act on HMIP
Reports
- Immediate Closure of all Immigration Removal Centres
Harmondsworth and Colnbrook IRCs are on the Colnbrook by Pass, Harmondsworth, West Drayton, UB7 0HB - map here.
From Heathrow bus station, take the free U3 bus from Stand 18, to where it turns right off the A4, near the Sheraton Hotel - a 5-minute ride.
Colnbrook is on the A4, just beyond the Sheraton (which looks very similar, but has no razor wire).
For further details contact George Mwangi on 07947 794945 ( georgemwas at yahoo dot com )
and National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns (NCADC).
Barbed Wire Britain Conference
2006-10-14 -
Barbed Wire Britain Network National Conference will be on Saturday, 14th October 2006, at The Human Rights Action Centre (Amnesty International), New Inn Yard, London. Details
here
Barbed Wire Britain Meeting at the House of Commons
2006-04-25 -
Barbed Wire Britain Network organises regular meetings at the
House of Commons, for active campaigners and MPs. If you are
interested in coming along to these (the next is on the 25th
April 2006) or in contributing to the agenda, please contact
info@barbedwirebritain.org.uk
No Immigration Detention - Global Days of Action, April 2006
2006-04-17 -
New website now active. Please email your reports, photos,
etc. to http://info@no-id2006.org
www.no-id2006.org/
Invitation to join in first annual international action against immigration detention, April 2006
2006-04-01 - 2006-04-30 -
To all organisations and individuals opposed to the detention of refugees and other migrants.
Read more
Vigil in memory of Bereket Yohannes
2006-01-27 -
Eighth asylum seeker takes own life while in a detention
centre
Read more
Detainees protest following the suicide of
Bereket Yohannes in Harmondsworth
2006-01-20 -
Statement of 61 detainees at Harmondsworth
Read more
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