Category Archives: Regional news and events

The Case for No Borders – what was discussed at Nottingham meeting?

Meeting report: ‘The Case for Open Borders’ – A Refugee Week event speaker – Teresa Hayter

Teresa Hayter (member of the Close Campsfield Campaign and an author of the No One is Illegal Manifesto) gave a thought provoking talk to a well-attended meeting at the Refugee Forum’s Square Centre on the evening of 19th June. Teresa made the case that migration controls are rooted in racism and right-wing ideology and that any distinctions made about whether someone is a genuine asylum-seeker, an economic migrant, an illegal worker, or whatever just prop up the system of control. We shouldn’t be demanding ‘papers for all’, instead we should be getting rid of the need for papers. Anti-immigration arguments are little different that those used against Jewish or Irish immigrants in the past. In addition tightening of the screw against refugees goes in parallel with the waging of war by our governments – many recent immigrants are Iraqis. All immigration rules, harassment of asylum seekers, the difficulty of getting refugee status, and the horror of detention centres are all part of a racist agenda to prevent and deter freedom of movement. We must struggle for complete freedom of movement for all. It was noted that immigration controls are actually quite new to Britain (1905) and especially for people in the ex-colonies who were able to come freely to Britain until the 1960s.

In the discussion after, various points were made and questions asked:

How does ‘the system’ really benefit from borders? Is it mostly to further a racist ideology? Do our rulers just want to create fear of others in order to ‘divide and rule’? Or does a capitalist system need to invoke the threat of illegal immigration to make the working class ‘at home’ feel vunerable economically?

Do some trade union fears about immigration threatening jobs make any sense, or does this attitude actually prevent workers linking up to fight for equal pay and benefits? The idea of the welfare state is that you have to ‘put in’ to ‘get out’, but doesn’t this attitude help create division? What’s this we/they thing anyway – shouldn’t we all just be ‘citizens of the world’?

Is there a difference in the way immigration controls are sold to the people in the USA with its historical embracing of immigrants, compared to Britain with its sense of superiority from the days of empire? Or is the apparant positive attitude to immigrants in USA reserved only for its anglo-saxon settlers?

Is it right to only blame governments for creating such a terrible situation for asylum seekers in Britain, or should people be blamed for doing nothing about the racism, and abuse in detention centres?

Will it take a revolution to get rid of borders, or could it just collapse on its own if immigration control became unworkable, knowing that the capitalist economy already depends so much on immigrant labour whether legal or illegal?

Should we be concentrating on fighting the result of an anti-immigrant culture, like the successes of the far-right in some areas of Notts (in recent elections)?

** Read about other activities for Nottingham Refugee Week 2007 – 16th?24th June
Continue reading The Case for No Borders – what was discussed at Nottingham meeting?

Teresa Hayter: No One Is Illegal meeting at NNRF

The case for Open Borders – A Refugee Week event speaker – Teresa Hayter

Tuesday June 19th at 7.00 pm – The Square Centre, Alfred Street North (which is just off top of Huntingdon Street), Nottingham. http://www.nottsrefugeeforum.org.uk

Teresa Hayter is an activist and writer.
She is a member of the Close Campsfield Campaign and an author of the No One is Illegal Manifesto

** Read about other activities for Nottingham Refugee Week 2007 – 16th?24th June
Continue reading Teresa Hayter: No One Is Illegal meeting at NNRF

Update on attempts to deport people to Sudan

British Airways and Gulf Air are the airlines involved, and the next deportation is set for Wednesday 4th April: Mustafa. The last attempt to deport Mustafa was from Heathrow (Gulf Air). BA were going to take Alcir.
Another update: 3 April 07 – Late last night, UK immigration authorities halted the removal of Darfuri African survivor Mohammed Abdulhadi Ali. Read more…
Continue reading Update on attempts to deport people to Sudan

Return Mustapha to his friends and to safety, not to Sudan.

Over the last week hundreds of Sudanese Asylum Seekers, including 8 from Nottingham, have been rounded up and moved to holding centres in the UK ready for deporatation. This MUST be resisted by anti-deportation activists. One of our friends, Mustapha, may have already been deported, although we are seeking firm information on this. He is a valued volunteer at the Nottingham & Notts Refugee Forum Food Group and his friends are desperately worried about him. Because of his unmasking of inhumane practices in Sudan, he faces certain torture and maybe worse if deported. Certainly others are in danger too. We’ll update you when we hear more and could anyone with news please tell us so that we can publish it).

Good news! Mustapha did not get on the plane, although it’s not over yet. We’ll keep you posted. Thanks for the messages of support seen on Indymedia UK!

Campaigners against deportation may find this House of Commons information on Sudan useful…
Continue reading Return Mustapha to his friends and to safety, not to Sudan.

Demonstrate on Thursday April 12th in Nottingham

Stop Deporting Nottingham People to the Congo

The ‘Country Guidance Tribunal? on the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the Government will decide whether it is safe to send people back to DRC, has been moved to Thursday April 12th. Wednesday’s demo in the Square at 1.00 will still go ahead (see below) and we will be building for another demonsraion on April 12th. Watch this space…..

Tthe Congo is far from safe. The situation is actually worsening….
Continue reading Demonstrate on Thursday April 12th in Nottingham

Nottingham protest against sudden detention of local Sudanese asylum seekers

Please come and demonstrate outside the Bridewell, between the Magistrates Court and the Family Court by the Canal near the railway station tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. Saturday 24th March, for our detained Sudanese friends who were arrested when they signed at Loughborough reporting centre yesterday. At least 8 from this area have been detained – three are known to us.

Important addition: This local detention appears to be part of a national ’round-up’ by the government, with the collusion of the Sudanese authorities who have been present interviewing detainees in holding centres in spite of protests by solicitors. It’s essential that the names of all the detainees are discovered and solicitors found for those who don’t have them.

There is a case in the High Court against the removal of asylum seekers to the Sudan and so the Home Office is doing its utmost to remove as many as possible before this judgment is made!! It is particularly dangerous for asylum seekers from Darfur to be returned to Khartoum.

Thanks to all who attended the protest at Bridewell police station and the Market Square. Hopefully there may be others things we can do to help thereafter.
Continue reading Nottingham protest against sudden detention of local Sudanese asylum seekers

Modern day ‘slavery’ / migrants to Britain / Nottingham connection

Modern day ‘slavery’ and exploitation of migrants to Britain –
with a Nottingham connection

During the Abolition 200 events, at the same time as making it clear that slavery did not end in 1807 (not even British involvement in slave trading) it?s important to look at the issue of modern day conditions of some of Britain?s exploited and abused people, especially migrant labourers and people from both EU and non-EU countries who are treated like slaves in Britain because they are held captive by their ?bosses?.
Continue reading Modern day ‘slavery’ / migrants to Britain / Nottingham connection