New Newsletter! – Movement #1

November 7, 2009 in Media | Tags: , , , , , | by No Borders South Wales | 3 comments

advert The No Borders UK Newsletter has been rotated around local No Borders  groups for the last few years. Last month’s  network gathering in London, signalled that it is now our turn to produce the publication. We  intend to create a more regular and broad based periodical, drawing in others that work to end the inhuman cycle of detention, deportation and death through the abolition of migration control. As a statement of intent we are re-naming and re-launching!

cover1

click to download the .pdf

SO… (drum roll…) we proudly present the first issue of ‘Movement’, a monthly newsletter covering the latest updates from the No Borders Network and beyond. This début issue is packed with articles on (follow the links find the original unedited versions);

Help us make this Movement:

  1. print, photocopy and distribute copies in your local area.
  2. share this link online, forward it to anyone who might be interested or better still publish your own article promoting the newsletter.
  3. join our e-mail list and encourage others to do the same.
  4. contact the editorial collective and Read the rest of this entry »

Calais Update

November 6, 2009 in No Border Camp | Tags: , | by No Borders South Wales | Leave a comment

small Eritean squat

small Eritean squat

A carload of activists from No Borders South Wales are in Calais with the group Calais Migrant Solidarity.

The weather was awful at the beginning of the week, cold with heavy sudden rain showers; dangerous weather for people forced to live on the streets. We set out on Tuesday morning to deliver warm clean clothes to the ‘bridges’ area – a collection of railway and road bridges across the ‘Basin de la Battellinne’ – where many Afghans and Iranians are struggling to stay dry and warm.

Despite the incessant rain we received a friendly welcome, sharing cigarettes and watching the rain. Meanwhile, during that morning the CRS (Companie Republican de Securité) had invaded the Ethiopian squat and arrested most of the people living there. Read the rest of this entry »

Urgent Calais appeal

October 25, 2009 in No Border Camp | Tags: , , | by No Borders South Wales | Leave a comment

Urgently needed: Blankets, Sleeping bags , warm clothes (especially winter jackets and water proofs), mens shoes, tents, money, tarpaulin, rope, tools

calais police migrantsHundreds of refugees and migrants, many of whom are under 18 are sleeping out in the cold weather in Calais; with no shelter, no blankets, nothing. This is the result of the French Immigration minister Besson’s policy of destroying the migrants camps together with the peoples few possessions. New shelters are being destroyed as well as squats being evicted. People sleeping under bridges have had their blankets confiscated or sprayed with chemicals so they cannot be used any more.

The associations and charities cannot cope with Read the rest of this entry »

Update on Baghdad charter flight

October 16, 2009 in Anti-Deportation Campaigns, Comment | Tags: , , | by No Borders South Wales | 1 comment

Yesterday’s charter flight to Iraq was returned to the UK with the majority of the Iraqi deportees returning to UK immigration detention centres. Sadly 10 of those on board were left in Baghdad.

The Stop Deportation Network together with The International Federation of Iraqi Refugees have issued a  press release with the following statements from those who have been returned to Brook House detention centre, Gatwick:

“when we landed in Baghdad an Iraqi man got on dressed in army uniform, with seven other guards with Kalashnikovs.  He asked the immigration officers why they brought us here then asked us if we wanted to come back.  He said those of you who want to come back you get off, the rest of you stay where you are.

He told the immigration officers to go away and not try to send people back by force again.

So they took us back to Italy and we had to change planes there.  About three people refused to move plane and they were beaten by security guards.  They’ve got injuries from that.  There were 130 security guards on the plane.  Why did they need so many?  There were even some arguments between the British and Italian securities.”

‘K’, who did get off in Baghdad, said this morning he did not do go voluntarily and did not Read the rest of this entry »

Charter flight to Baghdad

October 16, 2009 in Anti-Deportation Campaigns, Protest | Tags: , , , | by No Borders South Wales | 1 comment

On the morning of 15th October, 39 people who had sought asylum in the UK were deported to Baghdad, Iraq on a chartered flight.

The Air Italy flight left from Stansted Airport, named “Operation Rangat” by the UK Border Agency. This was the first forced mass expulsion of people to southern Iraq from the UK.

no-deportations-to-iraq (2)An eyewitness told the International Federation for Iraqi Refugees “When my friends started shouting they couldn’t go back these big security guards handcuffed them and strong-armed them out of the bus onto the plane.  They were treated like prisoners: it was like watching the footage from Guantanamo“

Violence and bloodshed continue in Iraq, which saw 1,891 civilian deaths in the first six months of this year. There are also widespread food shortages and lack of access to clean drinking water in many areas of Iraq.

Prior to such charter flights, deportees and any legal representatives are not told the date or flight on which they are being deported. This frustrates migrants’ opportunities for legally challenging a deportation and makes it Read the rest of this entry »

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