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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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Detainees protest following the
suicide of Bereket Yohannes in Harmondsworth
Fellow detainees at Harmondsworth met together on Friday
20th to discuss the death of Bereket and their concerns
with conditions in the centre. They formed
a committee and drew up a number of complaints that they
presented to United Kingdom Detention Services (UKDS)
who manage the detention centre. 61 Harmondsworth
detainees signed a joint statement on Friday 20th
January with ten demands. Some have been refusing food,
which they say they will continue until their demands
are met. Many protesters have since been put in
isolation units or moved to other detention centres.
IRR report on suicides of asylum seekers:
http://www.irr.org.uk/2005/september/ha000021.html
Contact: Barbed Wire Britain Network to End Refugee and
Migrant Detention
01865 558 145 / 07786 517 379 / 07754 813 775 /
01993 703994
Statement of 61 detainees at Harmondsworth
"We the detainees of Harmondsworth, having considered the various ill
treatment being melted to us, having come out with the following complaints that need
to be addressed and abated immediately. The following points could have led
to the unwarranted death of one of our beloved friends.
"1. It is absolutely ridiculous and obviously unjustifiable to keep
immigrants against their wish, even those who have stated their intention to go back to
their country voluntarily. Asylum seekers' fate has already been decided even
before they go to court and as a result are automatically refused asylum. We
are all therefore left in dehumanising and depressing conditions for a better
part of our lives. We strongly resist these demeaning actions being melted
out to us and ask that we be released immediately.
"2. Detainees' freedom of speech is totally denied us, as we are not
given the opportunity to contribute our own views and opinions in such a way as to
make positive impact on our conditions of living. In fact, our opinions are
baseless and irrelevant as far as the management and staff of UKDS is
concerned. We therefore call for a complete reversal.
"3. Freedom of movement is totally ruled out and every outlet leading to
various association areas like gymnasium, education and worship centres are
permanently locked against easy access to the user of the facilities they are
in. UKDS officers make us feel that we are an inconvenience and our and our
timely movement is only at the disposal of the authority.
"4. The most alarming problem facing the detainees is their
susceptibility to a hazardous and unhealthy environment as every single window in all the
rooms in the various wings are sealed. Communicable diseases are therefore
likely to be transferred from one detainee to another. The rooms most times are
always very hot and uncomfortable, although we don't however expect to have
comfort in "advance slavery". We are not breathing normally and are usually
very weak. We are gradually suffocating to death. What a degrading condition.
"5 The available facilities, specifically the central air conditioning
systems, are not functioning; they are only hanging on the ceilings like
decorative frames. You can imagine a facility designed to save the windowless nature
of the building not functioning for months and people (glorified neglected
human beings) are locked in here. This is indisputably barbaric. This only
brings to our memory the slavery era of our great ancestors.
"6. The management are aware of how passionately religious Africans and
their allies and similar countries' cultures are. They are therefore
capitalising on this and using it as a stooge against us by the debarring or
discouraging detainees from freely walking into their worship centres without booking 24
hours before the service. This to a large extent has affected interested
worshipers and consequently tears on their emotions because this is about the
only way they could have a form of relief spiritually to be able to overcome the
torture and depressed state they are going through. Only a few days ago we
prayed for a detainee in church who was anticipating suicide. This likely would
have been the first suicide we would have experienced. What is the fate of
those who find it difficult to keep with the restrain confronting them as a
result of insensitivity, all in the name of procedures? We are therefore
clamouring that people should be allowed to workshop without any constraint.
"7. Asylum seekers are even denied chances to exhaust their appeal
rights. We are most times denied access to the high court, which is an independent
body from the immigration tribunal. We ask that opportunity be given to us to
exhaust our appeal.
"8. The food being given to detainees would be rejected by some dogs in
the United Kingdom. The food is predictably rice and potatoes, with some
horrible sauce, day in day out. Most detainees are almost starving themselves to
death as we are all tired of eating the same food every single day without any
alternative to buy varieties of food, as is obtainable in other detention
centres.
"9. The way and manner officers disrespect detainees, and other
responsible men around, is quite disgusting and very humiliating. You can imagine a
situation where a fellow inmate was asked to get out of the dining room just
some few seconds after taking his meal, is quite appalling. Officers are fond
of threatening detainees with IEP (warning letters) for no just cause; most
times we are being accosted and approached like children. We are asking this to
stop with automatic effect.
"10. The sanitary conditions are very poor, making the whole environment
to smell and it could probably be attributed to poor ventilation, which makes
the whole place stuffy. We are therefore seizing this opportunity to advise
management of our plight and demand for immediate redress of all the stated
complaints.
"You will agree with us that people are held and detained for longer than
necessary most of the time, for even 2 years and more. We advise that people
that have to be removed should be given quick removal to their various
countries, and those that are considered for stay should be released as soon as
possible rather than being kept in the detention centres against their wish and
knowing fully well it is against United Nations and human rights regulations.
"Owing to the loss of our fellow detainee, every other detainee is
currently living under perpetual fear and no body knows who is the next victim. We
are therefore demanding that all detainees currently being held right now
should as a matter of urgency be released."
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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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