No Borders Nottingham » Tinsley House

No Borders network newsletter no.6 – Spring 2009

nobordersnottm — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:10:27 +0000

The latest No Borders network newsletter is now available.
Contents:
*CALAIS NO BORDER CAMP 23-29 JUNE 2009
*ABOLISH ALL IMMIGRATION PRISONS! : REPORTS
*BRISTOL GATHERING: LOCAL GROUPS UPDATES
*GAZA : CALL OUT 27TH APRIL
*VIVA EL MIGRANT RESISTENCIA !
*WOOLAS DETAINED
*NO BORDERS TOUR

Tinsley House blockade against Iraq removal via charter flight, and hunger strike on inside

nobordersnottm — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:54:34 +0000

Early in the morning of March 17th, anti-deportation activists bravely put up a blockade of Tinsley House, an immigration detention near Gatwick airport, in order to try and prevent removal of Iraqi asylum seekers collected from here and also at detention centres at Dover and Campsfield (Cambs). Find full reports and pictures on Indymedia.
And not only action on the outside, since at the same time everyone inside Tinsley was on hunger strike, due to changes in the meal system since Brook House opened (breakfasts and evening meals are shipped from the new centre, portion sizes are smaller & evening meals have to be ordered 48hrs in advance).

The blockade, which lasted for over 6 hours, managed to prevent a WH Tours couch and G4S vans from leaving the detention centre, some by locking and by gluing themselves to the gate. At least one detainee won a last-minute High Court injunction and was returned to Tinsley House. Soon after, the activists were violently removed by police, with 9 arrests. Following this, a coach carrying between 8 and 12 Iraqi refugees due for deportation left for Stanstead airport. Others were reportedly taken from Campsfield and Dover detention centres, although some had outstanding appeals and judicial reviews. Later, the charter flight went ahead and landed in Erbil, northern Iraq, with approximately 60 people on board. At least two people had won High Court injunctions and were taken off the flight.

All 9 arrested on the action were released on bail between 9pm and 2am. Their bail conditions include keeping away from Sussex, all UK airports (except for pre-booked flight) and all UK Border Agency facilities (detention centres, reporting centres etc.). They are due in court on March 30th.

Even when they eventually go ahead, delaying such flights can help give time for court injunctions to go through. Plus it is necessary to highlight and subvert the ongoing state practice of deporting people from UK to dangerous areas where they do not want to be sent. The government is using charter flights in part because of the actions taken by detainees, other passengers & supporters against their removal on commercial flights and presumably because they see it as efficient to round people up and move them in groups like farm animals.

More to follow on the hunger strike.

More details on Indymedia:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/03/424368.html
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/03/424406.html

Asylum seekers and fellow passengers resist airline deportations. Resistance is not futile!

root — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000

How can 60 men vanish? Yesterday morning at Tinsley House immigration removal centre (IRC) near Gatwick airport, 15-20 men (Kurdish Iraqis) were being hurried to get ready to board a coach. Several were still waiting for responses from their solicitors, but their phones were quickly removed. At Colnbrook, another IRC at Heathrow airport, detainees had just received the news to get ready, and half an hour later all their phones were off too. Meanwhile at Dover there were about 20-30 men being hurried to board the coaches at about 11.30am, again phones off. When they asked where they were going to be taken so that they could let their families know, they were told, “Thats a Home Office Secret”. No departure time, flight number, airline, destination. So that’s around 60 Kurdish Iraqis being rounded up to be whisked away by the British state with maximum efficiency, minimum information, maximum fear. But this Iraqi Charter Flight never left the UK. Early reports suggest that detainees were forcibly put on to a Hamburg International plane. The plane sat on runway for four/five hours (probably because Erbil was unapproachable due to poor visibility caused by a sand storm). Then a ‘disturbance’ broke out, one detainee sustaining injuries, and a plane window was broken. The pilot said the plane was not air worthy and all detainees were removed from plane. All detainees are now back in removal centres. Dozens of Iraqi Kurds have been forcibly removed into an extremely dangerous and very often deadly environment – is it any surprise that they are resisting? These removals must end now.

Important update by International Federation of Iraqi Refugees-IFIR : Forcible Deportation of Iraqi asylum seekers ended in violence

Earlier this year, in a press release by the Respect Nigerians Coalition, it was explained how a man Ayodeji Omotade had been charged with threatening/abusive/insulting/disorderly behaviour towards British Airways (BA) crew, as a result of intervening in a violent deportation flight to Lagos on March 27, 2008, from Heathrow, London. Despite widespread public protest, including internationally, the case against Mr Omotade is going ahead, although his trial (due to take place Tomorrow Thursday 18th September at Uxbridge Magistrates Court) has been adjourned ? no new date yet. He sends his heartfelt thanks everyone who wrote messages of support.

Join a peaceful protest the day before at 12 noon, WEDNESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER, 2008, at British Airways PLC, Waterside (HAA3), Harmondworth, UB7 0GB.

Mr Omotade asks: “What would you do if someone on your flight was
distressed and crying out for help? Would you stay silent or would you
speak? I spoke and B A didn’t like it. This type of corporate tyranny
must be challenged and stopped.”

More details: Respect Nigerians Coalition: http://www.respectnigerians.com/BoycottBA.pdf

Note: the recently failed charter airline & tour operator XL Airways was previously forced by activist pressure to pull out from deportation flights. More pressure can and must be put on airlines not to participate in forced removals and deportations.