Tag Archives: Sudan

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

Sudanese cameraman new removal date set for Tues 2nd Dec – flight cancelled again but action still needed

UPDATE Dec 2nd: GOOD NEWS! Mustafa was released from Campsfield House IRC yesterday and arrived back in Nottingham late last night. He was released with nowhere to stay, but his friends were waiting. His campaign and Mustafa send many, many big thank yous’ to all the people who have signed petitions, faxed letters, been out in the cold getting signatures and letters signed. He still needs the signatures so he asks that people continue to circulate the petition around their contacts.

UPDATE: Mustafa’s removal flight was cancelled but please sign the petition and continue to email and/or send faxes [attachment=20] to the Home Office as this may only be a temporary delay to his removal (Click on read more for full text of email).

Support the campaign to prevent the second attempt by the government to remove Mustafa Abdulrahim Mustafa, Sudanese cameraman, from the UK. Mustafa Abdulrahim Mustafa from Sudan is detained in Campsfield House IRC and due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Tuesday 2nd December 2008 on BMI flight BD 0997 from Heathrow Terminal 1, @ 16.00 to Khartoum. Please sign the petition, and forward the petition address to others:
http://www.petitiononline.com/MustafaM/petition.html
Click on read more for other things you can do.
Continue reading Sudanese cameraman new removal date set for Tues 2nd Dec – flight cancelled again but action still needed

Mustafa not deported but still in detention; Selina & Family also get stay of removal

Supporters have informed us that Mustafa Abdulrahim Mustafa is still here after his removal to Sudan by BMI (British Midland Airways Limited) was due to take place on Saturday Oct 4th, but please continue to fax letters to the home secretary and immigration minister on his behalf. He is still in Campsfield House (Immigration Removal Centre in Oxfordshire) and the Home Office say they have no plans to release him.

We also have the good news (see also Evening Post article) that Selina and her children were arriving home to Nottingham as of 4th Oct, after they were detained for removal to Ghana by British Airways on Friday 3rd. A neighbour drove to London to collect them as soon as they knew she was being released. Selina has seen that 940 supporters signed a petition in support of her and the children (now over 1020 signatures). Brian (aged 8) is very happy ‘to be out of the Dungeon’, and we are hoping that little Chelsea (5) will start eating again soon, because she wouldn’t eat in Yarl’s Wood (Immigration Removal Centre in Bedfordshire). The campaign has learnt is that another family with young children ‘disappeared’ from the same school (St Patricks, in Wilford) over the summer holidays, and an older sister bringing a younger sibling to school mentioned that her family had beein in Yarlswood for three months last year. This is just one primary school… we need to keep the Campaign going for Selina, and we need to think about what else is going on in our midst.

See previous No Borders Nottingham website articles for background details on both attempted removals. Pressure must be kept up on the airlines to stop them colluding with the UKBA over deportations like these, which are known to involve abuse by private security companies contracted by the government, that within the last week, the Home Office has been forced to investigate.
Continue reading Mustafa not deported but still in detention; Selina & Family also get stay of removal

Nottingham’s Mustafa Abdulrahim Mustafa detained & faces deportation on Saturday 4th October: Urgent appeal

Nottingham's Mustafa Abdulrahim Mustafa detained & faces deportation on Saturday 4th October: Urgent appeal

UPDATE: Mustafa is still here in England, but please continue to fax letters to the home secretary and immigration minister on his behalf. He is still in Campsfield house removal centre and the home office say they have no plans to release him.

Mustafa Abdulrahim Mustafa, who has been in UK since June 2004, was detained when he reported at his reporting centre in Loughborough this week. He is a Sudanese African of dual Dinka/Massaleit heritage ? his mother is from the Dinka tribe of Southern Sudan, and his father is from the Masseleit tribe in the West of Sudan. He criticised the Sudanese regime though his film work for which he was tortured: beaten and humiliated. Mustafa was detained last year when the Home Office were rounding up Sudanese prior to the second HGMO case last year. Another Appeal is set for November this year on the issue of torture of returnees to Sudan. But, as is typical of the Home Office before Appeals are heard, removals are rushed through. Mustafa has been given a Removal Notice set for Saturday 4th October, with BMI flight number BD 997 from Heathrow Terminal 1, flying to Beirut, and then on to Khartoum. We urge you to write on his behalf, to the Home Secretary, the Immigration Minister, and the Airline. Mustafa should not be returned to Sudan. Follow read more link for how to help. Model letters: [attachment=17] and [attachment=18]
Continue reading Nottingham’s Mustafa Abdulrahim Mustafa detained & faces deportation on Saturday 4th October: Urgent appeal

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