1 In 9 People Can't Be Wrong?

Last Wednesday the Office of National Statistics released, as it does most days, a whole tranche of statistics - 22 in all to be exact. In amongst them was a news release entitled "Population by Country of Birth and Nationality from the Annual Population Survey". Now, the fact that the right wing press took up the statistic that roughly 12% (more than 1 in 9) of those resident in the UK being born in foreign countries is clearly uncomfortable for someone who clearly see's himself as Labour's very own Enoch, Powell that is. However, his lack of a clear grasp of the situation so obviously shows that he lacks the old Tory despot's intellectual credentials.

In the same report, the ONS also released figures for the estimated population resident in the UK by nationality (roughly 7% or 1 in 14), at the same time as making it perfectly clear the reasoning behind the ONS' own preference for the figures by country of birth: "It is possible that an individual’s nationality may change, but the respondent’s country of birth cannot change. This means that country of birth gives a more robust estimate of change over time." Perfectly clear as a far as we can see.

On top of that Woolas has made a number of other accusations against the ONS:

• about a press release running to 9 pages highlighting the 1 in 9 figure as the main finding (surely he can't be refering to the very same 8 page excel spreadsheet and 1 page of accompanying notes containing these figures but that nowhere highlights anything?);
• something about them "out of schedule, highlight(ing) the figure two weeks earlier because it was "topical"". (Where did they highlight this Phil? Please tell us.);
• and that the release was "at best, naive or, at worst, sinister."

Me thinks Phil Woolas doth protest too much.

Now it goes against the grain to say this, but you have to agree with what Andrew Green of the hated MigrationWatch said, “To imply that there is some sinister motive in simply telling the truth is astonishing” (most of the rest of what Green also had to say on the subject was of course complete twaddle). Maybe the reason that the ONS was 'highlighting' this Phil was because they were only set up on 1 April 2008 and that this was the first time they had released an analysis of this type? And that it's you that's the fool not them?

It just seems that every time Woolas opens his mouth, he appears to be saying that "it's everyone else that's the racist, not me". Get a grip Phil, these are statistics. It's you and the right wing tabloids that are putting them to sinister use, not the ONS.

But then again, he's right to be worried the implications as it's likely that he'll loose his seat at the next election if the BNP take away sufficient numbers of the 'traditional' Labour voters that voted for him last time round; even if he is, as on blog described him, "one of those delightful left-wing racists history throws up from time to time"?

Terre D'errance Update

On Saturday evening Terre D'errence called a meeting in Norrent-Fontes to show solidarity with their arrested member Monique Pouille. Monique was arrested on Wednesday apparently as part of an investigation into a network of 'people traffickers' operating at the truck stop at Saint-Hilaire-Cottes. [see 26 Feb post]

Present at the meeting were members and officials of Terre D'errance, C'SUR, La Belle Etoile and a number of the other migrant support groups that operate in the North West of France, local Green MEP Hélène Flautre and the mayors of Norrent-Fontes, Lillers and Isbergues. Strong statements of support for Monique and against the harassment of local humanitarian groups by the police were made.

Since her arrest, it has been discovered that the police had been monitoring the phones of the entire local Terre D’errance group, and as a result Terre D’errance has officially declared war on the government, police and judicial authorities. "I had always co-operated with the police and the RG [Renseignements Généraux - similar to the Special Branch], when they wanted information about the camp, but with the problems I have had, I have nothing to say to them!", as Monique stated at the meeting, raising loud applause.

[from: Lille newspaper Nord Éclair]

More Arrests In Northern France

Fifteen Eritrean migrants and a volunteer from Terre d'errance (loosely 'Earth Wandering'), an association helping migrants in the Northern France, were arrested on Wednesday 25th at Norrent-Fontes, near Béthune in NW France.

On the route to England, the truck stop at St Hilaire-Cottes on the A26 is a base for migrants trying to get across the Channel and it is regularly targeted by Border police for raids. Following the arrest of the 15 Eritreans at the Norrent-Fontes camp by Border police, the police went to the home of Monique Pouille, a Terre d’errance volunteer, who had regularly been helping migrants in the area. In their possession was a warrant for Monique's arrest for the "flagrant crime of assisting illegal immigrants", to quote the police. They also searched her house and took away 3 laptops belonging to migrants whose batteries she had been charging. All those arrested were taken to the detention centre at Coquelles near Calais.

Nan Suel, one of the managers at Terre D’errance in Norrent-Fontes, expressed his ‘surprise’ and ‘incomprehension’ . It’s the first time that a volunteer from the association has been arrested, though volunteers from other migrant support groups have recently been suffering increasing police harassment and a number have been arrested.

Later that afternoon, dozens of people from Steenvoorde, Calais, Boulogne, Dunkirk and Norrent-Fontes gathered around the Border police facility at the detention centre to protest the arrests. Monique was finally released after 10 hours in police custody.

Terre D'errance blog
There is also a short film in English which features Monique on France 24 (though there is an annoyingly regular use of the term 'illegal' immigrant)

No Borders Sunday Roast 8th March

No Borders Brighton are holding a fund-raising vegan Sunday roast on Sunday 8th March at the Cowley Club. We will be serving from 2pm onwards and the event is open to 12 London Road Social Club members and their guests.

Solidarity Demonstration At The Italian Embassy Thursday 26th February

There will be a picket of the Italian Embassy in solidarity with the Lampedusa migrants on hunger strike and with the residents of Lampedusa struggling against the island being turned into one massive concentration camp for migrants. The picket is in response to the recent mass hunger strikes by the migrants against their deportation to Tunisia and against the inhumane treatement they have suffered. There have also been at least 11 recent suicide attempts and on 17th February riots broke out in the Lampedusa detention centre, resulting in half of it being destroyed by fire. The migrants were kept locked inside the burning centre by police and around 80 people (60 migrants and 20 police officers) were injured. Many also suffered from smoke inhalation but only a handful were allowed out to be traeted in the local medical centre.

The picket has been called by No Borders London and is supported by No Borders UK groups, Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!, SOAS Detainee Support Group, National Coalition of Anit-Deportation Campaigns, Campaign Against Immigration Controls and No One Is Illegal.

Thursday 26th February
from 4.30pm to 6.00pm

14 Kings Yard
London W1K 4EH

Meet at the corner with Davies Street
(nearest tube: Bond Street)

SOLIDARITY TO THE MIGRANTS AND THE RESIDENTS IN LAMPEDUSA -
FOR AN END TO DETENTION AND FORCED EXPULSIONS
NO ONE IS ILLEGAL! FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT FOR ALL.

For an up-to-date Lampedusa timeline see: Migreurop

No Borders Brighton Day School Saturday 7th March

No Borders Brighton are holding a Day School on Saturday 7th March at the Cowley Club, 12 London Road, Brighton.

Programme:

12-1.30 pm Workshop by a member of Medical Justice

1.30-2.30 pm Tasty vegan lunch (£2.50)

2.30 - 3.30 pm Talk by MJ of Brighton Voices in Exile community outreach project

3.30 - 5 pm Workshop on the situation in Calais since the closing of the Sangatte HCR centre in 2002 including the short film "No Comment" about the life of migrants in Calais. Follow up discussion comparing the current situation in France with that in the UK.

There will also be a photo exhibition of work by activist photographer Julie Rebouillat taken in Calais during the summer of 2008.

Souhalia Family From Hove Finally Deported

Early on the morning of 11th February Assia Souhalia and her husband Athmane, who had been in the UK since 2002, and their 2 year old Brighton-born daughter Nouha were snatched in a dawn raid. They were served with a (IS151A) removal notice and moved to the Yarl's Wood immigration prison prior to a planned deportation to Algeria on the following Tuesday.

Assia Souhalia fled Algeria in fear for her life in 2002 after her family had suffered years of violence. Two of her brothers, Rachid and Brahim, both policemen, were murdered in two separate premeditated shootings in the early '90's. The family continued to receive death threats and 2 of Assia's remaining brothers and sisters soon fled Algiers in fear of their lives. Assia followed in 2002, travelling to the UK with the help of family members. Here she and her husband had laid down strong roots in the local community.

A campaign was started demanding that Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, guarantees that the Souhalias be allowed to peruse an appeal under Section 82 (1) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. In addition, the fact that a minor was involved should also ensured an appeal on the grounds of infringement of human rights under S84 of the same Act.

On the morning of the 17th, campaigners from Brighton and London travelled to Heathrow to talk to and leaflet passengers and crew of 0840 BA flight (BA 895) to try and persuade them to put pressure on the pilot and help halt the deportation. Shortly before the flight was due to leave, the family were returned to Yarls Wood. Assia texted campaigners that there had been a 'problem with the ticket'. Much more likely was that the actions of the campaigners, as in other similar cases, had had their effect and the pilot had refused to take them.

However, on the following Friday the Souhalias were booked on to an Air Algerie flight this time. Activists again tried the same tactics but the passengers and crew were far less sympathetic, with the pilot saying that he was "only carrying out regulations." Despite Assia and Athmane's best efforts to win the right to remain, they were reported to finally be resigned to their fate as nthe flight took off.

During this deportation case the Home Office has blatantly failed to follow their own procedures, as they do in so many of these cases. The deportation went ahead with out recourse to a clearly defined appeal process and the appeals of the community where the family had made their home were ignored. The Home Office as per usual is ruled solely by the desire to fulfil their deportation quotas, and the rights of 'Johnny Foreigner' under the European Convention of Human Rights can go hang!