THEY. So weeks have been pretty eventful for campaigners in support of asy lum seekers and migrants. received Blair's war drive has led to an incicase people of presumed Muslim vorth descent - although it is diffiof this because the government have also discouraged media reporting of this. opened The British government, Europe are intent on using the opportunity of war to accelerate their destruction of the 1951 Geneva Convention and further curtail civil rights. Proposed anti-terrorist legislaton i passco, will mean asylum seckers from like Algeria, Sri pagers. Lanka etc will find it almost impossible to claim asylum.
Hunger strikes A long planned series of illegal, events in support of asylum seckers in detention over the 21-23 weekend september saw sucessful hunger strikes, vigils and demonstrations in a numoct Australia I have never committed a crime in my life, but I have paid the price of a murderer cution in my bomeland.
These words, read to a 150 outside STON protest Walton prison in Liverpool, tell of the plight of more than one nunarca asylum seckers currently detained in Along with conricted prisoners, they are locked in cells for 23 hours a day, subject to racist abuse, and given adulterated food.
been made The Liverpool campaign to detainees has strong much from trades unions in particularly UNISON's Saturday 3 November.
West Region and from the local FBU.
Harmondsworth Then the new detention centre at Harmondsworth Thursday September 27. Already the complaints are piling up, facilities on the female wing are bad, there is no access to toilets, (if they have to go, ties. ber of staff, to let them off the wing). The womens gym Committee has only half the equipment Asylum Seckers of the mens gym. Phones are not working, neither are the no checks on whether detainees are taking food, (I think this may be management are responsible for the health of detainees and this means seeing that they are cating).
Visitors to the centre are taking nearly a hour and a the administration before seeing "Although the agenda for To call a national joint day the conference is not set, we of action in support of asy. would like it aimed at bringlum seckers and migrants, ing greater between all the campaigns against racism and war for and trade unions involved the defence of asylum OSCh Call involved in defence of asylum seekers to orities for the coming year.
One practical result Manchester on 23 February phlet giving activists practitools with To involve other organisa- advance our common aims. tions to discuss better co- We believe that working to ordination of events, distri- cogether to build bution of information and lic events involvement in uture activi- move us all co-operation.".
As Alan Gibson from the In the present political cliand Suresh tant than belore that Grover, chair of the National much energy as Civil Rights movement said given to ensure these initia. in their appeal for the sec- tives are a success. ond organising meeting on