MICHAEL Portillo's appeal to the Tory right and nationalist forces at Tory Party conference was another схатріє ої шле хепорпоbia and racism at the heart of the Tory party.
The 'have nothing to do with Europe' sentiment of Portillo is in line with in creased attacks by the state on migrant workers in Britain, as announced by Peter Lilley, the social security The proposals, overshadowed by Portillo's jingois. tic rhetoric seck to further restrict the ability of asylum seekers to claim benefits on arrival to this country. Asylum seckers who are already in Britain will be excluded from claiming any benefits, while new entrants benefits between the time of time of their appeal.
These new proposals follong increase in the detention and deportation of asy. lum seekers and refugees by the state.
The goverment justify asylum. these attacks on the grounds or cow or le grants into the country but neglect to reveal that immigration from Britain is more than matched by emmigra. tion. However it is not the facts of this situation that is instead the increased willingness of both the Tory Police and state authoritles brutally enforcle racism and Labour parties to play the race card.
The shameful record of Labour in government and in opposition shows them close hehind the Tories in their support for racist poli. cies on immigration and Asylum The Tory government's 1992 Immigration and Asylum Bill involved a clamp down on people seeking asylum including mandatory finger printing of all asylum seekers, reduced provision for housing and a quickened procedure for de. tion hanging over them. portation. Rights for appeal if asylum rights were denied was also further re- be seen in the overwhelmWing proportion of detainees Since 1987 there has who are black or are from been a massive increase in non-EEC or NATO coun the number of asylum seck- tries. ers and refugees held in Murder new detention centres such as Campsfield and Doncas. The murder of Joy Gardter, along with increased de ner was a vivid example of tention centres such as at the brutal behaviour of the Harmondsworth in West London. Only ten per cent police and state authorities in enforcing these laws. In of people secking asylum detention centres like are granted it, while many Campsfield, refugees and are given 'exceptional leave asylum seekers are held to remain' with the constant without trial for six months threat of jail and deportaor more and access to food, verely restricted. Families are split up and children placed in local council care. Suicide is an increasingly common response to the dual threat of continued detention or deportation. ment of refugees and asylum seekers has been taken up by a number of local paigns including the Close campsicia Campaiga, Free Haslar Detainees Campaigo. west iNsulands Alt Deportation Campaign. Hull Asylum Seekers Campaign and a campaign In addition there are speChis can ass are br ticular detainees such as Satpal Ram and Abdul Onibyo. Nationally activity is co-ordinated by the Campaign Against the immigration and Asylum Bill, National Coalition of anti-deportation Campaigns and the fledgling National Network Against Detentions On top of the already inhumane treatment of asylum seekers and refugees comes draconian plans from