The last few weeks have seen a stepping-up of the struggle in Calais, after No Borders activists released video footage of police raids and harassment to French national media on 10 April. [Video #1, #2.] With TV and radio attention turned on Calais, migrants got a breath of calm as the border police (PAF: Police Aux Frontieres) seemed to take a week off. But they were soon back with a vengeance with a major raid on 21 April which led to over two dozen arrests, including three No Borders activists who were brutally arrested and now face serious charges.
One video, which received thousands of online views in a few hours, showed border police driving into Africa House (the deserted factory complex lived in by around 100 Sudanese, Eritrean, Afghan and other migrants) in the early hours, dancing and joking as they blasted loud African music from squad cars with lights flashing. Other footage showed police hitting activists and smashing cameras, as well as sexual harassment. But these videos really indicate just the tip of the iceberg of the systematic repression taking place in Calais. Many of the worst incidents of police violence against migrants are unlikely to ever be captured on film. Nor can a few video clips make clear the crushing reality of this harassment that goes on every day and every night: constant and repeated ID controls, arrests, raids, beatings, destruction of shelters and possessions, contamination of food and water, and acts of humiliation and psychological warfare. All as part of a deliberate policy agreed by the French and UK governments to “clear” undesirables from the border zone by making life unliveable.
No Borders have been living and working alongside migrants in Calais since the June 2009 No Border camp, and an important part of their work during this time has been filming, monitoring, and documenting police raids and attacks. Activists have collected maybe hundreds of hours of film, as well as photographs, written testimonies and more evidence. There are plenty more “videos of shame” which could be published in future. At this moment activists are in discussions with lawyers about the best approach to take with presenting this evidence, perhaps as part of a legal challenge against the French state.
Africa House, currently the largest migrant settlement in Calais, is attacked by police pretty much every day, sometimes numerous times in the same day or night. So having a whole ten days off from raids was a real material benefit to residents. CRS riot police did make a small incursion at the back of the squatted complex on the morning of the 13th: but when they found out a Radio France journalist was on patrol with No Borders that morning they soon scurried off, even releasing one migrant without papers whom they had been about to detain. The recent French press coverage has been overwhelmingly positive (a surprise for English activists used to the anti-migration rants of the Daily Mail et al.), not only spotlighting the activity of the cops but giving migrants a rare chance to tell their own stories on national media. Such as one Darfuri friend who told how: “I left my country because of war, expecting to find freedom in Europe, and instead I have found another war.”
Of course the holiday didn’t last long. On 21 April Africa House was raided by five vanloads of CRS riot cops as well as a number of PAF border police, who attacked the building simultaneously from both sides at just after 9 am. More than 20 people without papers were arrested. But in this case the violence was mainly directed at the No Borders activists on the scene — particularly those carrying cameras. Activists were brutally grabbed, dragged on the ground, manhandled and injured. One camera was smashed, another taken and its memory card stolen. Four activists were arrested and held in custody for nine hours. Three of them now face trial on 12 July for charges including “violent resistance in a group” and “illegal occupation”. The former charge is similar to something like “violent disorder” in the UK.
Despite regular No Borders interventions in police raids, if the trial does go ahead it will be one of only a few times the authorities have tried to prosecute activists for serious offences following a squat raid. Such charges have often been threatened, but rarely reached court, perhaps because the police have more to lose themselves from such a trial. Many of these raids, and certainly much standard police conduct during them, are likely to themselves be illegal. With two years’ worth of evidence to make the point, a high profile court case around an Africa House raid could seriously backfire on the “forces of order”.
As one No Border activist commented in a press statement last week: “this trial is no more than a manipulation strategy to try and destroy the image of No Borders, and above all to try and scare us and discourage us from continuing to film and expose the reality of Calais and of its repressive system. We are not afraid: we are ready to go to the courts and seize the opportunity to win this latest political trial.”
As well as this new trial, two other No Borders activists are currently facing charges of “outrage” (insulting a police officer) and assault on a police officer, from separate incidents. These comrades also need solidarity and support, particularly if there are fines to pay.
Meanwhile, with or without media attention and coutroom battles, the struggle in Calais continues. Whether it’s direct action against the border, or simple acts of everyday solidarity such as sharing a cup of sweet tea by the campfire, the No Borders presence in Calais is getting stronger. As our numbers and networks grow, so do our skills and experience, and we become ready to face new challenges and take new steps to move our struggle forwards. New hands, eyes and minds are always welcome: come and join the resistance
[Repost from Calais Migrant Solidarity]
Monday, 16 May 2011
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Hunger Strike Ends
The three Iranian refused asylum seekers who had been on hunger strike outside Lunar House in Croydon for the past 37 days have ended their protest after being granted leave to reapply for asylum based on 'new' medical and legal evidence of abuse in Iran.
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Support The Iranian Hunger Strikers
Demonstration Friday 6 May
Assemble 2:00 pm at Parliament Square followed by march to protest outside the Home Office Marsham Street SW1 3:00 to - 5:00 pm
Six Iranian refugees are now reaching their fifth week of a hunger strike to demand asylum in the UK and protest against mistreatment by the Home Office. This Friday we will march to the Home Office in Westminster to join our voices with their courage in demanding fair treatment for refugees.
Ahmad Sadeghi Pour, Morteza Bayat, Keyvan Bahari, Kiarash Bahari, Mahyrar Meyari and Mehran Meyari were tortured and imprisoned for their involvement in opposition to the Iranian regime. But despite clear evidence of this, the Home Office has refused to let them stay in the UK.
Facing deportation, they decided to take drastic action: four of them have sewn their mouths together in protest; by Friday all will have gone 32 days without food. They have been camping outside the UK Border Agency (UKBA) headquarters in Croydon, and Amnesty International in Clerkenwell.
Their case highlights the rotten state of the UK asylum system. Rather than support refugees, the UK Border Agency operates a systematic policy of disbelief: ignore, confuse, use every legal loophole to refuse asylum claims and keep the numbers down.
Enough is enough. We will not sit and watch the Iranian Hunger Strikers be sent back to torture and death. We welcome them and all refugees, and will fight with them against deportation.
The hunger strikers will be with us in wheelchairs. Bring banners, drums, music, and passion.
Request: does anyone have any spare wheelchair we can borrow???
This demo is called by the hunger strikers and by supporters including members of:
No Border Network
Stop Deportations Network
SOAS Detainee Support
Cambridge Migrant Solidarity Group
Iranian Hunger Strikers Sew Their Lips Together In Protest At UK Deportation
Iranian Refugees On Hunger Strike In London
Iranian Asylum Seekers On Hunger Strike Outside Immigration Centre
Blog:
http://iranianhungerstrikers.blogspot.com/
Assemble 2:00 pm at Parliament Square followed by march to protest outside the Home Office Marsham Street SW1 3:00 to - 5:00 pm
Six Iranian refugees are now reaching their fifth week of a hunger strike to demand asylum in the UK and protest against mistreatment by the Home Office. This Friday we will march to the Home Office in Westminster to join our voices with their courage in demanding fair treatment for refugees.
Ahmad Sadeghi Pour, Morteza Bayat, Keyvan Bahari, Kiarash Bahari, Mahyrar Meyari and Mehran Meyari were tortured and imprisoned for their involvement in opposition to the Iranian regime. But despite clear evidence of this, the Home Office has refused to let them stay in the UK.
Facing deportation, they decided to take drastic action: four of them have sewn their mouths together in protest; by Friday all will have gone 32 days without food. They have been camping outside the UK Border Agency (UKBA) headquarters in Croydon, and Amnesty International in Clerkenwell.
Their case highlights the rotten state of the UK asylum system. Rather than support refugees, the UK Border Agency operates a systematic policy of disbelief: ignore, confuse, use every legal loophole to refuse asylum claims and keep the numbers down.
Enough is enough. We will not sit and watch the Iranian Hunger Strikers be sent back to torture and death. We welcome them and all refugees, and will fight with them against deportation.
The hunger strikers will be with us in wheelchairs. Bring banners, drums, music, and passion.
Request: does anyone have any spare wheelchair we can borrow???
This demo is called by the hunger strikers and by supporters including members of:
No Border Network
Stop Deportations Network
SOAS Detainee Support
Cambridge Migrant Solidarity Group
Iranian Hunger Strikers Sew Their Lips Together In Protest At UK Deportation
Iranian Refugees On Hunger Strike In London
Iranian Asylum Seekers On Hunger Strike Outside Immigration Centre
Blog:
http://iranianhungerstrikers.blogspot.com/
Monday, 2 May 2011
Solidarity Needed For Iranian Hunger Strikers!
The situation of the six Iranian asylum seekers currently on day 24 of their hunger strike has become more urgent.
The six Iranian pro-democracy activists have been holding a protest against their deportation by camping outside Lunar House, the Home Office building in Croydon, and outside Amnesty International Offices in Clerkenwell, central London.
BACKGROUND:
The men have experienced brutal torture in Iran for their part in resistance to the authoritarian rulers of that country. While we all know that the Home Office barely glances over asylum applications, what is especially appalling about this case is that not only have the men been subjected to severe personal ill-treatment (as required to be considered a refugee); but they came to the UK with substantial (and often difficult to produce) evidence that was completely disregarded: torture wounds over their bodies, newspaper articles with their photos in identifying them as activists, etc.
Some of the men were then screwed over by an unscrupulous immigration lawyer, who failed to even translate and submit key evidence.
CURRENT SITUATION:
Not having eaten for 24 days has made them ill, and one of them (a 17-year old), is seriously ill and may suffer long term kidney damage, according to a nurse who visited them.
They have refused to go to hospital; the men in Croydon called paramedics when they were unwell but became anxious and mistrustful of medical staff and did not want to get into the ambulance.
The Croydon protesters were also the target of racist abuse, when a man set fire to one of their sleeping bags and ripped up their publicity.
No Borders and Iranian Green Movement activists and other sympathisers have visited and stayed out with them.
This video shows their current situation and gives some background to their cases:
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/04/28/uk.iran.hunger.strike/
These guys have risked their lives to fight oppressive rule in Iran, and have suffered serious consequences as a result. They have been neglected by the government here and ignored by NGOs - it is critical that they get support from grassroots campaigners.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Raise the profile of their case:
- They have specifically asked that people sign their petition:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-6-uk-hunger-strikers-from-deportation.html
- Contact the Home Secretary (more details about their names and cases via the link above)
Rt. Hon Theresa May, MP
Secretary of State for the Home Office,
2 Marsham St
London SW1 4DF
Fax: 020 7035 4745
Emails:
mayt@parliament.uk
Emails: Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
- Contact the media
- Share it on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Support-the-Iranian-Hunger-Strikers/206206719410578
- Ask Amnesty to take on their case
- Join the demo in support of the hunger strikers on Friday May 6th, 12 noon at the Home Office, 2 Marsham Street, Victoria, London.
http://iranianhungerstrikers.blogspot.com/
The six Iranian pro-democracy activists have been holding a protest against their deportation by camping outside Lunar House, the Home Office building in Croydon, and outside Amnesty International Offices in Clerkenwell, central London.
BACKGROUND:
The men have experienced brutal torture in Iran for their part in resistance to the authoritarian rulers of that country. While we all know that the Home Office barely glances over asylum applications, what is especially appalling about this case is that not only have the men been subjected to severe personal ill-treatment (as required to be considered a refugee); but they came to the UK with substantial (and often difficult to produce) evidence that was completely disregarded: torture wounds over their bodies, newspaper articles with their photos in identifying them as activists, etc.
Some of the men were then screwed over by an unscrupulous immigration lawyer, who failed to even translate and submit key evidence.
CURRENT SITUATION:
Not having eaten for 24 days has made them ill, and one of them (a 17-year old), is seriously ill and may suffer long term kidney damage, according to a nurse who visited them.
They have refused to go to hospital; the men in Croydon called paramedics when they were unwell but became anxious and mistrustful of medical staff and did not want to get into the ambulance.
The Croydon protesters were also the target of racist abuse, when a man set fire to one of their sleeping bags and ripped up their publicity.
No Borders and Iranian Green Movement activists and other sympathisers have visited and stayed out with them.
This video shows their current situation and gives some background to their cases:
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/04/28/uk.iran.hunger.strike/
These guys have risked their lives to fight oppressive rule in Iran, and have suffered serious consequences as a result. They have been neglected by the government here and ignored by NGOs - it is critical that they get support from grassroots campaigners.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Raise the profile of their case:
- They have specifically asked that people sign their petition:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-6-uk-hunger-strikers-from-deportation.html
- Contact the Home Secretary (more details about their names and cases via the link above)
Rt. Hon Theresa May, MP
Secretary of State for the Home Office,
2 Marsham St
London SW1 4DF
Fax: 020 7035 4745
Emails:
mayt@parliament.uk
Emails: Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
- Contact the media
- Share it on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Support-the-Iranian-Hunger-Strikers/206206719410578
- Ask Amnesty to take on their case
- Join the demo in support of the hunger strikers on Friday May 6th, 12 noon at the Home Office, 2 Marsham Street, Victoria, London.
http://iranianhungerstrikers.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 1 May 2011
Villawood/Australia Update
The rooftop protest at Australia's Villawood detention centre has ended after 11 days. The riot and protests at Villawood and other Australian detention centres have been accompanied by a number of Serco whistleblowers hitting the airwaves [1, 2, 3], alongside news that 70% of refused asylum seekers have had a decision not to grant them a visa overturned upon appeal. There have also been regular protests by detainee supporters which included a rooftop protest at Immigration Minister Bowen's own constituency office.
News Digest
Here are some recent migration/racism-related news stories of note that we haven't been able to cover in more detail:
'Eastern European migrants 'add £5bn' to Britain's GDP' from the BBC [unfortunately the FT article on the same subject is behind a paywall and we have been unable to review it so far - it being Sunday, the local Library is closed]. Pity they trotted out that tired old one man pressure group Andrew Green for a comment.
'UN asked to investigate death of Angolan deportee Jimmy Mubenga: Campaigners are pressing for an examination of Jimmy Mubenga's death during removal on Heathrow flight' - hopefully this wont be yet another death in custody that will be swept under the carpet, though we wont be holding our breath.
'Immigration officials have turned HIV patients into prisoners, claims hospital: NHS consultants say that the UK Border Agency's security measures have turned Hillingdon hospital into a prison' - no surprise here given the long history of prisoners receiving cancer treatment or giving birth whilst still handcuffed between two prison officers or the way Jimmy Mubenga was 'restrained' on his deportation flight.
Whilst we haven't been blogging much recently, the North African refugee crisis and the antics of Tweedledum and Tweedledee [Sarkozy and Berlusconi] have not escaped up and the blatant racism underpinning their Dumb and Dumber actions/policy pronouncements on the subject. [For example: 1, 2, 3, 4]
Equally unpleasant has been the donkey caravan of fellow European politicians backing their calls to introduce increased border restrictions within the Schengen zone:
'France and Italy get backing for changes to EU border rules'
'Athens backs calls for stricter EU border controls'
'National interest comes first' - a review of some news comment across the EU on the same subject
Fortunately, saner voices can be heard off stage:
'Sarkozy-Berlusconi: A border control farce'
'Another project in trouble: First the euro, now Schengen. Europe’s grandest integration projects seem to be suffering' - the Economist's Charlemagne blog
'Reforming Schengen, an absurd gesture' - Berliner Zeitung
'Agnès Poirier: Both leaders are prisoners of a resurgent right wing'
'Fortress Europe? There is a better way'
And for a little bit of light relief, the Daily Flail's view:
'The French mocked Britain for warning that tearing up EU borders would be a disaster. Look who's whingeing now!'
'Eastern European migrants 'add £5bn' to Britain's GDP' from the BBC [unfortunately the FT article on the same subject is behind a paywall and we have been unable to review it so far - it being Sunday, the local Library is closed]. Pity they trotted out that tired old one man pressure group Andrew Green for a comment.
'UN asked to investigate death of Angolan deportee Jimmy Mubenga: Campaigners are pressing for an examination of Jimmy Mubenga's death during removal on Heathrow flight' - hopefully this wont be yet another death in custody that will be swept under the carpet, though we wont be holding our breath.
'Immigration officials have turned HIV patients into prisoners, claims hospital: NHS consultants say that the UK Border Agency's security measures have turned Hillingdon hospital into a prison' - no surprise here given the long history of prisoners receiving cancer treatment or giving birth whilst still handcuffed between two prison officers or the way Jimmy Mubenga was 'restrained' on his deportation flight.
Whilst we haven't been blogging much recently, the North African refugee crisis and the antics of Tweedledum and Tweedledee [Sarkozy and Berlusconi] have not escaped up and the blatant racism underpinning their Dumb and Dumber actions/policy pronouncements on the subject. [For example: 1, 2, 3, 4]
Equally unpleasant has been the donkey caravan of fellow European politicians backing their calls to introduce increased border restrictions within the Schengen zone:
'France and Italy get backing for changes to EU border rules'
'Athens backs calls for stricter EU border controls'
'National interest comes first' - a review of some news comment across the EU on the same subject
Fortunately, saner voices can be heard off stage:
'Sarkozy-Berlusconi: A border control farce'
'Another project in trouble: First the euro, now Schengen. Europe’s grandest integration projects seem to be suffering' - the Economist's Charlemagne blog
'Reforming Schengen, an absurd gesture' - Berliner Zeitung
'Agnès Poirier: Both leaders are prisoners of a resurgent right wing'
'Fortress Europe? There is a better way'
And for a little bit of light relief, the Daily Flail's view:
'The French mocked Britain for warning that tearing up EU borders would be a disaster. Look who's whingeing now!'
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Australia: An Immigration System In Crisis
What started out as a rooftop protest by 13 detainees (three Kurds, two Iranians and eight Afghans - all having been held for between 13-19 months), three of whom were beginning a hunger strike in protest against the Australian authorities continued refusal to grant them temporary visas, over a week ago quickly escalated into a mass riot that left large sections of Sydney's Serco-run Villawood detention centre in ruins. It also marked the latest episode in an escalating crisis that is afflicting Australia's grossly dysfunctional immigration system, one that unlike say Britain, automatically locks up all asylum seekers and clandestine migrants that arrive in the country without a valid visa until their cases have been determined. And, given the grossly overstretched system, that can mean years spent in limbo, in overcrowded and often temporary accommodation not knowing if your application is going to be granted or not. Is it any wonder that a tidal wave of self-harm, suicide bids and riots is sweeping the Australian detention estate?
The 20 April appears to have been sparked by the assault of at least one of the detainees by Serco security officers in the early stages of the rooftop protest. It quickly escalated to involve more than 25% of the 400 Villawood detainees, most of whom had already had their visa applications rejected at least once and some still with appeal hearing in the pipeline and therefore with much still to loose. Fires were set and much has been made in the Australian press of roof tiles having being thrown at fire crews attending the blazes but the protesters claim that only one of their number was doing this (possibly believing that they were going to turn their hoses on the rooftop protesters) and he soon grew tired left the roof. Whatever the case, the rebellion left 9 buildings gutted, including a computer room, kitchens and the medical centre.
Opposition politicians were not slow in trotting out the inevitable knee-jerk calls for the rioters to be sent back to Christmas Island, for their claims to be suspended for them to be sent to back of queue or even deported. More measure responses came from the likes of the Greens immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young who said, "Long-term detention, indefinite detention, a lack of time limit on detention is... pushing them to breaking point." David Manne, executive director of the Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre, was also quoted as saying that "...what we're seeing unfolding at the moment is a very serious situation which was highlighted and indeed the concerns expressed by these independent experts, including the Commonwealth ombudsmen, about the enormous distress and pressure that people are being placed under, being left incarcerated indefinitely for prolonged periods, does have consequences. It's enormously damaging to people and it's something that in fact this government, two years ago, promised to bring an end to. It's this government that said it was going to fundamentally reform detention policy, as it said, the practice was dehumanising, very harmful, and not an effective or civilised way of treating people. And in fact that people would only be locked up in detention as a measure of last resort, only if it was necessary and only for the shortest possible time."
The two days after the riot, 22 supposed 'ringleaders' were dragged off to the maximum security section of Sydney's Silverwater prison, where they have been held without charge ever since, despite regular complaints to the Commonwealth ombudsman over their treatment. The same day an anonymous ex-Serco guard told the ABC's Lateline program that the privatised detention system was in crisis, and that the security company was largely at fault for throwing poorly trained new recruits in to a volatile job at the deep end.
Whilst the clean-up at Villawood continues and immigration officials tried to talk the 3 hunger strikers down from the detention centre's roof, solidarity demonstrations were taking place outside the fence at Villawood, with 16 protesters being arrest on 24 April, and outside the Curtin detention centre in Western Australia. The following day disturbances broke out at the Christmas Island and Curtin detention centre. At Curtin activists claimed that 150 detainees were taking part in protests and 100 had gone on hunger strike, whilst the Immigration Department confirmed that about 30 asylum seekers at Curtin had received on-site medical treatment because of the food refusal. Refugee supporters also tried to get in to Curtin to see the detainees, but 16 were arrested. On Christmas Island a number of detainees had sewn their lips together as part of the protest and outside Melbourne's Maribyrnong detention centre police pepper sprayed a demonstration of 250 protesters.
Meanwhile, the Gillard government upped their rhetoric, with the immigration Minister Chris Bowen outlining plans to toughen up the immigration character test, allowing him to refuse visas to anyone convicted of any criminal conduct while in immigration detention. The following day (26) Bowen upped the ante further by announcing a return to the Howard-era policy of temporary protection visas. The Council of Civil Liberties also announced that it had filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission outlining their dissatisfaction with the Immigration Department’s rationale for holding the Villawood protesters in prison. 25 asylum seekers had collapsed during a hunger strike at the Curtin detention centre and eight Christmas Island detainees began their own rooftop protest.
On the 27th Christmas Island detainees announced a new hunger strike and the Villawood hunger strikers continued their protests in the face of the government's refusal to countenance any granting of visas to the men.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"There is something about taking people who have committed no criminal offence and keeping them confined and under the control of other people that eventually breaks them... I think almost all of us, if every part of our day was regulated by some arbitrary authority and we face the threat of being returned to a country where we feared for our lives, we just progressively break down." - University of New South Wales clinical psychologist Dr Zachary Steel, who specialises in refugee mental health.
All these events are taking place against a backdrop of 6 deaths in Australian detention centres in the last 6 months (5 suicides), continued calls for the closure of the Christmas island detention facilities and concerns over the high rates of attempted suicides and self-harm behaviours in detention facilities as voiced by the Australian Human Rights Commission [see for example 1, 2, as well as an interesting article by Dr Tanveer Ahmed], and the December Christmas Island boat tragedy, alongside concerns over the $15 million upgrade to a former army barracks in Pontville, Tasmania to house up to 400 male asylum-seekers.
And the most rational recent response to this crisis? Certainly not the Gillard government or Tony Abbott's opposition tub-thumping; it has been a R.I.S.E. press release laying out the blatant racism backgrounding the long and unsavoury history of Australia's system of mandatory detention for asylum seekers.
Also highly recommended is the Asylum & Refugee Law Project's excellent Frequently Quoted Inaccuracies series, which put the whole 'boat people' question in context and lay bear the inherent racism underlying the whole debate. For example, their table showing the relatively small number of 'unauthorised arrivals' compared to the numbers of visa 'overstayers' who enter the country 'legally':
The 20 April appears to have been sparked by the assault of at least one of the detainees by Serco security officers in the early stages of the rooftop protest. It quickly escalated to involve more than 25% of the 400 Villawood detainees, most of whom had already had their visa applications rejected at least once and some still with appeal hearing in the pipeline and therefore with much still to loose. Fires were set and much has been made in the Australian press of roof tiles having being thrown at fire crews attending the blazes but the protesters claim that only one of their number was doing this (possibly believing that they were going to turn their hoses on the rooftop protesters) and he soon grew tired left the roof. Whatever the case, the rebellion left 9 buildings gutted, including a computer room, kitchens and the medical centre.
Opposition politicians were not slow in trotting out the inevitable knee-jerk calls for the rioters to be sent back to Christmas Island, for their claims to be suspended for them to be sent to back of queue or even deported. More measure responses came from the likes of the Greens immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young who said, "Long-term detention, indefinite detention, a lack of time limit on detention is... pushing them to breaking point." David Manne, executive director of the Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre, was also quoted as saying that "...what we're seeing unfolding at the moment is a very serious situation which was highlighted and indeed the concerns expressed by these independent experts, including the Commonwealth ombudsmen, about the enormous distress and pressure that people are being placed under, being left incarcerated indefinitely for prolonged periods, does have consequences. It's enormously damaging to people and it's something that in fact this government, two years ago, promised to bring an end to. It's this government that said it was going to fundamentally reform detention policy, as it said, the practice was dehumanising, very harmful, and not an effective or civilised way of treating people. And in fact that people would only be locked up in detention as a measure of last resort, only if it was necessary and only for the shortest possible time."
The two days after the riot, 22 supposed 'ringleaders' were dragged off to the maximum security section of Sydney's Silverwater prison, where they have been held without charge ever since, despite regular complaints to the Commonwealth ombudsman over their treatment. The same day an anonymous ex-Serco guard told the ABC's Lateline program that the privatised detention system was in crisis, and that the security company was largely at fault for throwing poorly trained new recruits in to a volatile job at the deep end.
Whilst the clean-up at Villawood continues and immigration officials tried to talk the 3 hunger strikers down from the detention centre's roof, solidarity demonstrations were taking place outside the fence at Villawood, with 16 protesters being arrest on 24 April, and outside the Curtin detention centre in Western Australia. The following day disturbances broke out at the Christmas Island and Curtin detention centre. At Curtin activists claimed that 150 detainees were taking part in protests and 100 had gone on hunger strike, whilst the Immigration Department confirmed that about 30 asylum seekers at Curtin had received on-site medical treatment because of the food refusal. Refugee supporters also tried to get in to Curtin to see the detainees, but 16 were arrested. On Christmas Island a number of detainees had sewn their lips together as part of the protest and outside Melbourne's Maribyrnong detention centre police pepper sprayed a demonstration of 250 protesters.
Meanwhile, the Gillard government upped their rhetoric, with the immigration Minister Chris Bowen outlining plans to toughen up the immigration character test, allowing him to refuse visas to anyone convicted of any criminal conduct while in immigration detention. The following day (26) Bowen upped the ante further by announcing a return to the Howard-era policy of temporary protection visas. The Council of Civil Liberties also announced that it had filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission outlining their dissatisfaction with the Immigration Department’s rationale for holding the Villawood protesters in prison. 25 asylum seekers had collapsed during a hunger strike at the Curtin detention centre and eight Christmas Island detainees began their own rooftop protest.
On the 27th Christmas Island detainees announced a new hunger strike and the Villawood hunger strikers continued their protests in the face of the government's refusal to countenance any granting of visas to the men.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"There is something about taking people who have committed no criminal offence and keeping them confined and under the control of other people that eventually breaks them... I think almost all of us, if every part of our day was regulated by some arbitrary authority and we face the threat of being returned to a country where we feared for our lives, we just progressively break down." - University of New South Wales clinical psychologist Dr Zachary Steel, who specialises in refugee mental health.
All these events are taking place against a backdrop of 6 deaths in Australian detention centres in the last 6 months (5 suicides), continued calls for the closure of the Christmas island detention facilities and concerns over the high rates of attempted suicides and self-harm behaviours in detention facilities as voiced by the Australian Human Rights Commission [see for example 1, 2, as well as an interesting article by Dr Tanveer Ahmed], and the December Christmas Island boat tragedy, alongside concerns over the $15 million upgrade to a former army barracks in Pontville, Tasmania to house up to 400 male asylum-seekers.
And the most rational recent response to this crisis? Certainly not the Gillard government or Tony Abbott's opposition tub-thumping; it has been a R.I.S.E. press release laying out the blatant racism backgrounding the long and unsavoury history of Australia's system of mandatory detention for asylum seekers.
Also highly recommended is the Asylum & Refugee Law Project's excellent Frequently Quoted Inaccuracies series, which put the whole 'boat people' question in context and lay bear the inherent racism underlying the whole debate. For example, their table showing the relatively small number of 'unauthorised arrivals' compared to the numbers of visa 'overstayers' who enter the country 'legally':
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