Tag Archives: Darfur

Borders = violence and death

State violence comes in many forms. As reported today on the front page of the Independent newspaper Adam Osman Mohammed was shot in Darfur after ‘voluntary’ return to Sudan from Britain where his appeal for asylum had been turned down. He was murdered by Sudanese security forces, at home, in front of his family, just a few days after his arrival at the airport. He had originally fled Darfur to UK via Chad, after attacks on him and his family by the Jangaweed militia, but that wasn’t good enough for the Home Office, who classed him as a ‘failed asylum seeker’.


The Home Office didn’t pull the trigger, but with the British government (like all nation states) determined to control borders and decide who can be in and who can be out, it is also responsible. The State in Britain also commits daily violence to asylum seekers by detention, forced removal, mental stress of uncertainty, lack of access to proper healthcare, and destitution. Death and suicide in (and also outside of) custody of detainees is not uncommon. Many asylum seekers choose so-called ‘voluntary return’ in exchange for a period of food and shelter beforehand and hope of a safer return without escort of immigration officials which is more likely to alert police and ‘security’ forces (e.g. under the Home Office’s Section 4 programme) but this decision is not taken lightly. In Darfur, and elsewhere, just returning after a time outside of the country can make you a target.


All this, and the terrible outcome of Adam Osman Mohammed’s return to Darfur, means that action to prevent and delay removal, ‘voluntary’ or otherwise, saves lives. In Nottingham, activists are working with asylum seekers with this very aim, whether they are from Sudan/Darfur, Congo, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Iraq or anywhere else they do not wish to return to. For more details, see: http://www.nottsrefugeeforum.org.uk/nrcg.htm

See also: Flying People to Torture & Death

Welcome Hope to Nottingham’s Dafuris!

Further to the great news update below that things are looking better for Dafuris in the UK generally as well those we have been worried about in Nottingham, all three of the Nottingham detainees are back and very grateful for all the support. However, we are hearing alarming stories of mistreatment. Abdul Hadi is diabetic and was not allowed to take his insulin or antibiotics with him when he was cast out of Colnbrook with nothing but an underground ticket to help him get back to Nottingham. If it wasn’t for his friends who have worked so hard to help him he might not have made it back and to the QMC, where he was put on a drip. Others, including from Nottingham, were similarly released from Oakington without travel tickets and stranded destitute in Cambridge. Friends helped over the phone to get them get to a station and talked to the travel clerk to pay for tickets. How many others have been released like this? Complaints should be made and if you have time to help with this we can put you in touch with NNRF people who have been doing such wonderful work on this case. Many thanks to those people and we are really glad to have everyone out and relatively safe.

Stop Deportations of Darfurians! Stop All Deportations – Salford 5-Apr-07

Called by the Darfurian Community in Manchester.
Demonstration: Thursday 5th April at 12:00 noon.

Venue: Dallas Court Enforcement Unit, South Longworthy Road, Salford Quays, Salford M50 2GF [Map]

Congolese, Zimbabwean, Iraqi, Afghan, Somali asylum seekers of other nationalities stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Sudanese, the latest targets of the Home Office’s most shameful, vile attacks.

Source: NCADC. READ MORE on Indymedia: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/04/366836.html
Continue reading Stop Deportations of Darfurians! Stop All Deportations – Salford 5-Apr-07

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