Asylum seekers
We enjoyed every minute of it!
Such a description can’t accurately be made of many political conferences or meetings, but Civil Rights lawyer Louise Christian spoke for all the participants in the conference to Defend Asylum Seekers held in Manchester on March 23.
Around 350 people crammed into the conference, which was jointly organised by Barbed Wire Britain, the National Civil Rights Movement, the National Coalition of anti-deportation campaigns and the Campaign to Defend Asylum Seekers. It gave a platform to a number of asylum seekers who explained in graphic and moving detail the reality of life in Britains detention prison, and to many other campaigning against this government’s racist and draconian policies.
The conference started with a plenary session which set the scene and then broke into 5 different workshops. After lunch the same workshops ran again and the day concluded with a round up plenary in which there was the opportunity not only to report back from workshops but to discuss and agree future action.
The tone was set by Suresh Grover of the NCRM. In his opening remarks, he pointed out that this was a unique event, not because there had not been many previous conferences on asylum, but because so many of the key organisations involved had come together to organise the day.
He hoped that it would be possible to cement closer working relationships in the future. Grover also argued "This government has seen the most racist legislation and practice yet when it comes to asylum seekers. These attacks are something we didn’t witness even under the Tories."
Campsfield campaigner and author, Theresa Hayter forcefully put the case against all immigration controls saying "A more just world would be one in which no one is forced to migrate, but everyone is free to do so if they want".
Emma Ginn from the Yarls Wood campaign, told the story of the fight against the flagship Category B prison near Bedford. In particular, by reading from letters sent to her by those moved from Yarls Wood since the fire, she demonstrated both the courage and resourcefullness of immigration prisoners and what a great deal it means to have to have activists on the outside fighting for their freedom.
Cameroonian Gabriel Nkwele closed the session. Gabriel fled Cameroons after exposing electoral fraud there – and has been in detention most of the time since he arrived in Britain. He is a remarkable fighter – and a remarkable person – who has not only battled to win freedom for himself but for other immigration prisoners. He was nearly deported last Christmas, but fortunately this was stopped at the last minute.
Gabriel’s speech recounted the agony of all this and many more experiences. Gabriel is unique – but his story has many parallels with thousands of other immigration detainees. If anyone needs convincing that asylum seekers have resources and skills, energy and commitment to offer this society – then read Gabriel’s story. (www.freegabriel.org.uk)
Other things that about the day were also special – the fact that asylum seekers and refugees were given space to recount their own experiences and the high proportion of black people in attendance being two of the most obvious.
There were frustrations – mainly as a result of the fact that the turn out almost doubled the organisers expectations and the capacity of the venue’s main hall. But they were definitely secondary to the level of energy and enthusiasm generated by sharing so many lessons of campaigning together and planning for the future Workshops on 7 topics provided the opportunity to discuss: Working in trade unions, Working with asylum seekers, detention, deportation, Fortress Europe, Challenging the media, Asylum: election timebomb.
The final session had an ambitious programme. There were workshop report backs, contributions from guest speakers and a discussion about how to take the work of the day forward.
Apart from summing up the atmosphere of the day, Louise Christian also set out the full horror of the proposals being put forward in Blunkett’s new white paper, while Jeremy Corbyn MP and Jean Lambert (Green Party MEP) proved that there are still a few elected politicians with principle and compassion.
Aamer Anwar from the Chhokar Family Justice campaign gave a powerful address, mainly a repeat of what he had said in the workshop – but still incredibly moving second time round.
What was particularly telling was his description of meeting with the tenants of Sighthill in Glasgow, in what was initially a hostile atmosphere after the murder of Firsat Yildiz Dag last summer.
Describing this as one of the most difficult meetings of his life, he demonstrated how it had been possible to overcome the division and prejudice fostered by both government policies and the far right through discussion and common action.
The crucial task of discussing the way forward was slightly more tortuous than it might have been if the sponsoring organisations had met in advance to propose an agreed statement to the conference, which would have been available to all participants when they registered.
There had been prior discussion about a week of action – but some people had no knowledge of this until the final session itself. This inevitably meant that there was some argument, including between leading members of the sponsoring organisations, about precisely what the priorities should be.
In the end however, agreement was reached to organise a week of action from June 15-22, which coincides with Refugee week.
On June 15 there will be a day of action against Detention, with protests outside Dungavel in Scotland and Harmonsworth in London. (Actually the conference agreed the focus would be Yarls Wood – but seeing as the insurers have now shut it for us, that would currently seem a little pointless… See box for more).
During the week, it is hoped that there will be local activities and then on June 22 there will be a march through central London.
Since the conference itself, there has been a further planning meeting involving all the sponsoring organisations to take this work forward.
This agreed the model resolution below, which should be taken through trade unions, Labour Parties, anti-war group etc to build the broadest possible support for the week of action.
Planning meetings for the week of action are fortnightly from April 22, 6.30pm, Camden Town Hall, Judd St, WC1.