and Paul Clarke ANTI-RACIST campaigners in the Oxford area warned at the end of last year that the opening of the new Campsfield detention centre was part of a new offensive against immigrants and asylum seekers.
Less than one month later their warnings were dramatically contirmed when officials detained 190 people out of 356 on a flight from Jamaica - and promptly shipped many of them to Campsfield.
But what surprised many was that the swoop was not against asylum seekers, but against mere Christmas visitors! The 190 detained and the dozens later deported were accused not of what they had done, but what they might do - an 'intention' to overstay their visits.
Instead of spending Christmas with families and friends more than 100 spent it in detention. Welcome to Britain!
Visitors
The function of Campsfield and the detention system was thus revealed. It is to intimidate potential visitors and asylum seekers, especially from black countries.
If you are black and you try to come to Britain you stand a good chance of being banged up or deported. Imagine the furore if the plane had been full of Americans, Canadians or even white South Africans.
The new 'Fortress Britain' policy is linked to the new 'Fortress Europe' strategy of the European Union.
Major and Home Secretary Howard are doing a double act with French interior minister Charles Pasqua, who has declared "war' on immigrants and asylum seekers.
According to Pasqua, people should stay 'in their own country' and (what a joke) France should "lead a crusade' to economically develop the third The problem is the future hypothetical economic development of the third world is not much use to someone fleeing persecution in the here and now.
PSFIELD THE ST THI ETENT NOI In November 1992 the gov- Mecca. emment declared its intention to The first detainees arrived at create 330 new places in deten- the new immigration prison on tion centres for its stepped-up 29 November. immigration campaign. By the time the second minibus arrived, demonstrators were Profit-making at the gates with placards saying 'Refugees Are Not Criminals' In addition to the 100 places at Haarmondsworth and 100 at and 'Stop the Detentions'.
On 25 November a torchlit Haslar near Southampton, the 200 new places at Campsfield, demonstration by some 50 peonear Kidlington, Oxford, in- ple took place in central Oxford and 1000 leaflets saying 'Stop clude places for men and children. Built at a cost of the Refugee Prison' distrib£5m it will be run for profit by uted. Group 4. Support the campaign Just so people know what against Campsfield and the govkind of people the centre is de- ernment's racist immigration signed for, compasses have policies. The Campaign against Campsfield can be contacted on been installed so that Muslims 0865 724452. will know that they are facing