Demonstration against deportations to the Congo

Deportation of a person from the UK to a country which is unsafe for that person, is illegal
Since the so-called democratic elections last year, more than 150 people have been gunned down by the security services in Bas-Congo for peacefully protesting about local election results; hundreds more have been killed in Kinshasa in violent clashes between president Joseph Kabila's guard and forces loyal to his contender in the presidential elections Jean-Pierre Bemba; tens of thousands of people have been displaced by conflict in the east of the country. Massacres, extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, torture and rape are endemic, while thousands continue to die each week as a result of starvation and disease. As we are weary of typing on this website, deportation to countries in such a state of turmoil as DRC, Sudan &c, is illegal under the Refugee Convention which Britain signed up to in 1951. The Convention obliges signatories not to "expel or return a refugee to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened". But the home office seems to think that it's all right for the UK to ignore this treaty. The foreign office is advising British nationals not to travel at all to eastern and north eastern DRC, and against "all but essential travel" to the rest of the DRC because the country is too unstable, yet the home office is still trying to remove or deport Congolese asylum seekers to a situation in which they risk losing their lives. If you want to read about DRC in the government's own advice to travellers, then click here.

Deportation of a person from the UK to a country which is unsafe for that person, is illegal

Since the so-called democratic elections last year, more than 150 people have been gunned down by the security services in Bas-Congo for peacefully protesting about local election results; hundreds more have been killed in Kinshasa in violent clashes between president Joseph Kabila's guard and forces loyal to his contender in the presidential elections Jean-Pierre Bemba; tens of thousands of people have been displaced by conflict in the east of the country. Massacres, extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, torture and rape are endemic, while thousands continue to die each week as a result of starvation and disease.

As we are weary of typing on this website, deportation to countries in such a state of turmoil as DRC, Sudan &c, is illegal under the Refugee Convention which Britain signed up to in 1951. The Convention obliges signatories not to "expel or return a refugee to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened". But the home office seems to think that it's all right for the UK to ignore this treaty. The foreign office is advising British nationals not to travel at all to eastern and north eastern DRC, and against "all but essential travel" to the rest of the DRC because the country is too unstable, yet the home office is still trying to remove or deport Congolese asylum seekers to a situation in which they risk losing their lives. If you want to read about DRC in the government's own advice to travellers, then click here.

The demonstration
As part of demonstrations around the country against the deportation of asylum seekers to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), No Borders Nottingham, Nottingham Congolese Community and Nottingham Refugee Network organised a demonstration on Wednesday, March 28^th. The demonstration gathered in the Market Square and after making its presence felt here for a while, made its way to the area between the magistrate's court, police bridewell and the canal. The bridewell is where many Nottingham asylum seekers, abducted by the immigration authorities, are first taken before being moved on to a detention centre. As you can see from photos by the great Tash on the Indymedia pages (click here) , the demonstration was large and enthusiastic. On Thursday, April 12th, 2007, a demonstration against deportations to the DRC again assembled in the Old Market Square at 12 noon. It was organised by No Borders Nottingham, Nottingham Congolese Community and Nottingham Refugee Network. The demonstration was planned for that day because the Country Guidance tribunal on the DRC began a "directions hearing". Initially, this will be a meeting between the judge, the barristers bringing the case and the home office to ensure all parties have been served with the information they need. After this the date for the full hearing will be established. The 12th was sunny and it was good to be out demonstrating. People assembled at the water-works end of the new slabs and handed out leaflets. There were even reports that the populace appeared less sullen than usual and more inclined to take leaflets about asylum seakers. Perhaps it was the combination of new slabs, children frolicing in the water-works and sunshine. Anyway, singing started, then the No Borders banner slid sideways and led the demonstration off across the square at a smart pace, still singing, down Wheeler Gate. See photo below of No Borders banner sweeping all before it. By a roundabout route we reached the magistrate's court where there was more enthusiastic singing and also dancing. By 2 o'clock we decided that the miserable clerks, police and security guards incarcerated in the surrounding offices had been entertained enough and so dispersed - till the next time. So we were out in force on 12th April, and we need to be on any subsequent tribunal dates, to show our solidarity with the legal team defending the cause of Congolese asylum seekers and to protest against further deportations to DRC.

The demonstration

As part of demonstrations around the country against the deportation of asylum seekers to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), No Borders Nottingham, Nottingham Congolese Community and Nottingham Refugee Network organised a demonstration on Wednesday, March 28^th. The demonstration gathered in the Market Square and after making its presence felt here for a while, made its way to the area between the magistrate's court, police bridewell and the canal. The bridewell is where many Nottingham asylum seekers, abducted by the immigration authorities, are first taken before being moved on to a detention centre.

As you can see from photos by the great Tash on the Indymedia pages (click here) , the demonstration was large and enthusiastic.

On Thursday, April 12th, 2007, a demonstration against deportations to the DRC again assembled in the Old Market Square at 12 noon. It was organised by No Borders Nottingham, Nottingham Congolese Community and Nottingham Refugee Network.

The demonstration was planned for that day because the Country Guidance tribunal on the DRC began a "directions hearing". Initially, this will be a meeting between the judge, the barristers bringing the case and the home office to ensure all parties have been served with the information they need. After this the date for the full hearing will be established.

The 12th was sunny and it was good to be out demonstrating. People assembled at the water-works end of the new slabs and handed out leaflets. There were even reports that the populace appeared less sullen than usual and more inclined to take leaflets about asylum seakers. Perhaps it was the combination of new slabs, children frolicing in the water-works and sunshine. Anyway, singing started, then the No Borders banner slid sideways and led the demonstration off across the square at a smart pace, still singing, down Wheeler Gate. See photo below of No Borders banner sweeping all before it. By a roundabout route we reached the magistrate's court where there was more enthusiastic singing and also dancing. By 2 o'clock we decided that the miserable clerks, police and security guards incarcerated in the surrounding offices had been entertained enough and so dispersed - till the next time.

So we were out in force on 12th April, and we need to be on any subsequent tribunal dates, to show our solidarity with the legal team defending the cause of Congolese asylum seekers and to protest against further deportations to DRC.

Photos

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