POLICE burst into Joy Gardner's house at 7.40am to deport her because she was an 'overstayer'. The police were able to do that because under the 1988 Immigration Act overstaying has been made a criminal offence, and thus overstayers can be arrested without a warrant and quickly deported.
There have been several cases where solicitors have had w uy io micrvene on the airport As well as 'overstayers' there are several other groups of people who can be rapidly expelled. These include people who have come into the country for a specific purpose and are deemed to have strayed beyond it -for example students who get a part-time job.
FIGHTING RACISM 'The basis of the "Fortress Britain"
strategy is racism pure and simple.
There is no rational economic or social consideration behind it.' Then there are asylum seekers who can be immediately kicked out. The fourth group is non-Brush citizens who have served a prison sentence whose C CIEOO conducive to the public good' and thus immediately removed. But police have most license against overstayers because it is a criminal offence.
Deportation figures have been rising sharply.
In 1991 more than 5000 peopie were deportcu, more than twice the number in 1987. The use of the deportation weapon has been made much simpler by the severe restrictions put on the right to appeal by the 1988 Act.
Deportation is part of the govemment's 'Fortress Britain' strategy. It's a dual strategy: it aims to severely restrict immiptns anu assiuin wokcs come ing into the country, and at the satric ume to chable those who have made it into the country to be quickly ejected.
Apart from the 1988 Immigration Act, the new Asylum Act is a key part of that strategy. The key point of this Act is to speed up the process of rejecting asylum applications, to institute a "fast track' approach to tuming people away. Once an asylum application has been tumed down, there's only 48 hours to lodge an appeal - something which many applicants don't know.
In addition there's a new policy of treating asylum seekers already in the country as "illegal entrants'. Of course you are meant to apply for asylum before you enter the country. which many asylum seckers don't know.
The basis of the "Fortress Britain' approach is racism pure and simple. There is no other rational cconomic or social basis to it. This racism hits people who try to come into the country and black people here.
New 'sus' law Suspicion of overstaying is being used as a new "Sus" law. It is now very common for black people to be stopped on the street and taken into custody -even kept in jail for several days - on 'suspicion" of being overstayers.
Unless they can produce proof of identity immediately which can be checked, black people are in effect subject to random arrest and detention.
In addition there have been a lot of cases where people have been kept in custody for several days, thinking that the sole basis HEMEMBER REMEMDER JOY JOY REMEMDEL JOY JOY Citadel on Portland. They are often moved around between prisons frequently, so their solicitors and immigration advisors find it very difficult to keep track of them.
Those who do get 'help' are often npoed off by unscripulous solicitors who take the legal aid money and then do nothing to help them.
In effect, in 1993 Britain we have a form of internment without trial. It is used not only agains neople who are new/v arrived, but also against people Wno nye nei ne solo tn Once again, detention is being used disproportionately against black people.
There is a lot of evidence that ine trcat or octenton is being used to force people out of the country. They are threatened with prolonged detention unless they agree to a 'supervised deIncreasing numbers of peopie nave beca told that their appeal has no chance of success, that they will be imprisoned for opted for a supervised departure.