Removals/Deportations

October 2, 2020December 8, 2020

Inspectors report on Home Office flight removing immigration detainees to France and Germany

Please do Read the report: Germany and France escort and removal – it is disturbing

2.10.2020: Extract: ‘Managers were expecting some resistance, because of their previous experience of detainees being reluctant to return to other European countries under the TCU arrangements. Several of those scheduled to be on the flight had been very distressed; the removal of most of those identified as at risk of suicide or self-harm was cancelled, but two who were at risk travelled, of whom one self harmed on the aircraft and the other was found during the journey to be secreting a fragment of sharp metal in his mouth. Two detainees had to be carried on to the aircraft and restraints were used on half the total number.

Handcuffs were fitted for short periods to the wrists of three detainees for the purpose of achieving compliance through inflicting pain. We did not directly observe the incidents and so cannot judge whether use of this technique was proportionate in the circumstances.’

[and … ‘

September 20, 2020

Home Office plans to evict thousands of refused asylum seekers

Guardian: People in England whose cases have been refused will be given 21 days to leave UK, letter states

Thousands of asylum seekers currently accommodated in hotels are facing removal from the UK, the Home Office has announced.

A letter from the Home Office, seen by the Independent, states that evictions of refused asylum seekers will take place “with immediate effect” and charities have reported an increase in people being held in immigration detention centres.

September 1, 2020September 18, 2023

Corporate Watch report on UK Border regime

Throughout history, human beings have migrated. To escape war, oppression and poverty, to make a better life, to follow their own dreams. But since the start of the 20^th century, modern governments have found ever more vicious ways to stop people moving freely.

The UK border regime includes the razor wire fences at Calais, the limbo of the asylum system, and the open violence of raids and deportations. Alongside the Home Office, it includes the companies running databases and detention centres, the media pushing hate speech, and the politicians posturing to win votes. It keeps on escalating, through Tony Blair’s war on refugees to Theresa May’s “hostile environment”, spreading fear and division.

This book describes and analyses the UK’s system of immigration controls. It looks at how it has developed through recent history, the different actors involved, and how people resist. The aim is to help understand the border regime, and ask how we can fight it effectively.

NB: we will be glad to send copies for free to asylum seekers and other people without papers. For other people and groups fighting the border regime, we can send at cost price or whatever you can afford to donate.

June 18, 2020September 18, 2023

Refugee Week – powerful Stay Home for Labour online event

Refugee Week Facebook event – it took place on Wednesday 17.6.2020, but is available for viewing. You may find it interesting to hear the stories of people with lived experience, and hear from Shami Chakrabarti, Alf Dubs and Jeremy Corbyn:

Shaista spoke about Status Now at 1hr 17 mins on this Zoom event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGGeBUdY-ps

This is a powerful discussion, giving a voice to people with lived experience, also featuring Shami Chakrabarti, Alf Dubs and Jeremy Corbyn.

May 31, 2020May 31, 2021

Removals_Deportations: Appeal Court Quashes UK Policy of Removing Migrants With Little Warning

Updated 31 May 2021: Guardian: Uncovered: the brutal secrets of UK deportation flight Esparto 11

‘All the passengers of Esparto 11 subsequently tracked down by Liberty Investigates and the Observer after being deported were from war-torn Sudan and South Sudan and claimed to be survivors of torture or trafficking.

The story of Esparto 11 also yields another fundamental question: why is the world’s fifth-richest economy so aggressively targeting a handful of at-risk people who arrived seeking sanctuary?’

On 12 August 2020 at 7.48am the first of a series of Home Office flights carrying asylum seekers left Stansted. This is the harrowing story of the hours before it took off and the anguish of those on board

May 24, 2020May 24, 2020

A Short History of Resistance to Immigration Detention and Deportations in the United Kingdom

April 2020: Bill MacKeith, published by Oxford Against Immigration Detention http://oaid.org.uk

In 2019, ‘enforced returns’ from the UK fell to 7,361, 22% lower than the previous year and the lowest number since records began in 2004. Over the same period, there were 11,421 ‘voluntary’ departures.

On 31 December 2019, there were 1,637 people in immigration detention, 8% fewer than on 31 December 2018, and fewer than half the number on 30 September 2017. The number of people entering detention in 2019 was similar to the previous year at 24,443. Prior to this, there has been a downward trend since 2015. (Immigration Statistics, Year Ending December 2019)

May 15, 2020

Idea for a Zoom reading meeting

QARN ‘Excessive fees: leave to remain in the UK’ leaflet: In these times of online meetings, here’s a suggested format for considering the important issues raised in this leaflet. Gloucestershire AM has recently had a good experience of this. Having originally planned a whole ‘faith in action’ day on refuge and asylum issues, we had to alter it to a zoom event instead. Continue reading “Idea for a Zoom reading meeting”

December 20, 2018

Stanstead 15

2019/1 QARN Minute: We agree to support the work of the campaign End Deportations- Stop Charter Flights, and ask Sheila to write to them expressing our support, and to put a link on our website. On our own website we will also highlight the moral injustice of using terrorism legislation against peaceful protest. QARN has taken on Removals/Deportations as a specific concern.

QARN Meeting of 19 January 2019 Continue reading “Stanstead 15”

February 18, 2012

Petition calls for suspension of removals to DR Congo

HM Government e-petition. Responsible department: Home Office

Refused asylum seekers at risk on return to the Democratic Republic of Congo

Stop the torture of vulnerable Congolese asylum seekers now. The report ‘Unsafe return’ has documented that refused asylum seekers removed to the DRC are at risk of: – interrogation at the airport – arbitrary detention – being denied access to lawyers – torture and rape in detention It also documents the detention and ill treatment of children removed with parents and cases where returnees have successfully left the airport without harm but have been arrested at home later or been forced into hiding or exile. The Petition seeks to question: a)The adequacy of systems in place to monitor what happens to refused asylum seekers; b)The Home Office evidence for maintaining that the refused asylum seekers are not at risk. This petition calls for the suspension of removals until there has been a full inquiry into the safety of failed asylum seekers on return, in order to prevent future ill-treatment of vulnerable Congolese asylum seekers.

What are e-petitions?

e-petitions is an easy way for you to influence government policy in the UK. You can create an e-petition about anything that the government is responsible for and if it gets at least 100,000 signatures, it will be eligible for debate in the House of Commons.

July 20, 2011

Amnesty calls for complete overhaul of enforced removals by private security companies

UK: Ill-trained, dangerous and unaccountable- Amnesty calls for complete overhaul of enforced removals by private security companies
Posted: 07 July 2011
The UK Government must conduct a complete and radical overhaul of the current system of enforced removals from the UK, according to a new briefing and campaign launched today (7 July) by Amnesty International UK.

Private security companies, contracted by the UK Government, have reportedly used dangerous and improper control and restraint techniques. In the 2010 case of Jimmy Mubenga at least, these appear to have resulted in someone’s death. One such technique was nick-named by contractors “Carpet Karaoke”, as it involved forcing an individual’s face down towards the carpet with such force that they were only able to scream inarticulately ‘like a bad karaoke singer’. It involves the seated detainee being handcuffed, with a tight seatbelt through the cuffs and their head pushed down between their legs. There is a serious risk of death by positional asphyxia when this technique is used. Continue reading “Amnesty calls for complete overhaul of enforced removals by private security companies”