recent report by the United Nations High • Britain as having "the worst record on asylum seekers in Europe". Fewer and fewer refugees are gaining asylum here, while others are locked in detention camps on arrival - sometimes for as long as twenty months.
People who have settled here for are suddenly being many ycals arrested and deported.
From 1991 to 1996 an average of 5,575 people year were deported from the UK under Immigration Act powers around 107 people every week. 590 were deported in September 1997 alone. This included Albert Tong, who had lived here for 21 years.
Up to 900 asylum seekers are presently detained in camos throughout Britain, under a system described by the Chief Inspector of Prisons himself as "a complete and utter shambles." Detainees are kept here for longer periods and with less legal sureties than anywhere else in hurone.
There are people who have fled persecution and torture in their own countries and do not understand why they are now being treated here like criminals. In desperation some have gone on hunger strike to draw attention to their plight.
After Labour's election victory last May, Immigration Minister Mike O'Brien announced "fairer, firmer and faster" system of dealing with refugees, and promised to treat individual cases in a "compassionate and sensible way". In fact all we have seen is increased fear and insecurity amongst many communities as well as the spectacle of fascists marching against 'unwanted immigrants' in Dover.
Mushrooming
We have also seen the mushrooming of campaigns in defence of asylum seekers, for their release from detention and their right to stay. In my own area of Islington, when a meeting was organised last year in defence of one family, others under threat turned up with their supporters and a local anti-deportation campaign was born.
We are fighting to stop the deportations of a mother and her four children back to Nigeria and of two Kurdish families back to Northern Cyprus. At Campsfield, near Oxford, jailed asylum seekers face frame-up "riot" charges All of them have lived here for a number of years and are part of their local communities. The children go to school or college here and are being supported in their fight to stay by pupils and teachers. Local Kurdish groups and churches have also helped as has North Islington Labour MP, Jeremy Corbyn.
We have held large and successful demonstrations outside the Home Office, handing in petitions signed by thousands of supporters as well as many public, workplace, schools, college and local community meetings.
Always the campaigns bring to light not only the distressing circumstances of their particular cases but the fact that they are only the tip of the iceberg of many, many more that need to be taken up. They also usually reveal the often shamefully mercenary and political motives behind the recent request that she should remain here."
Puppet state
Northern Cyprus, from which the two Kurdish families have fled, actually is on the UK's white list. Strange, since this little puppet state of Turkey is not even recognised by Britain or by most of the rest of the world. Set up after Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974, it remains occupied by 35,000 Turkish troops.
Turkey itself is not on the 'white list', because of its appalling record of human rights abuses, especially against Kurds.
Yet when its forces of occupation persecute and harass in Northern Cyprus this is conveniently ignored by Britain.
Cooked
In fact 'ethical' Foreign Secretary Robin Cook is presently involved in negotiating a deal to