be subject to more regimentation, with clear rules and regulations, incentives (and punishments); "it should be stated control rests with staff". It will be no surprise if these latter recommendations are the only ones that Mike O'Brien and the Labour Front Bench take In all the furore over the Ramsbotham report, the Asylum Rights Campaign's report sank almost withouf trace. The Home Office erected a 'wall of silence' to keep out the authors, Sue Lukes and Leonora Lloyd, but there are quotations Group 4, official and anonymous, from detainees past and present. from visitors, lawyers, and some utterly craven and racist members of the Home Officeappointed Official Visitors' Committee, The ARC report endorses "Providing protection", an anti-detention statement authored by JUSTICE, the Immigration Law Practitioners Association, and the Asylum Rights Campaign (which however fails to call for the closure of immigration detention centres). This useful report should have been published months ago when it was completed, not sat on by ARC.
Government policy is based on the belief that politicians can only lose votes by being just to refugees and other migrants. It is up to others to point out that you can win votes with just and antiracist policies. The Parry was elected to government in France last year making gestures in that direction. A new wave of church occupations is currently under way' by sans papiers in towns in France, and also by refugees in Germany. which with the UK has the worst record of immigration detentions in Europe - more people detained but not so long as here.
To make real progress, to have an impact governments, against detention have to take the argument further into trade unions and link up with other movements - in Europe and in the UK - for an end to detentions, and to all miscarriages of justice, for cancellation of all debts allegedly owed by poor peoples to international banks, for an end to arms exports to dictators.
This last was the theme of last Saturday's demonstration outside Campsfield - the 51st monthly demo since that refugee prison opened.