BOOK SALEOnce again, Carlton/Gedling will have its own second hand bookshop - this year for a whole two days! EXLIBRIS are organising another booksale at 16 Vernon Avenue, Carlton, on the first weekend in September: Saturday 6th, from 12 till 6 pm and Sunday 7th, from 12 till 5 pm. There will be all sorts of books from as low as 10p and also some delicious cakes for sale. All proceeds in aid of NNRF Destitution Fund and Hayward House Cancer Care. You have may have some books you were thinking of throwing out.... Spasm of pain here - but we understand there are people who actually do this. So... why not donate your unwanted books to EXLIBRIS?
AMDANI'S OUT - NOW FOR THE JUDICIAL REVIEWAmdani's judicial review was to have been on August 11th but this was a bail hearing as his judicial review has been postponed until August 22nd.
Amdani Juma was arrested on 30th of May when he signed on at Loughborough Immigration reporting centre. He was due to be to deported to Burundi on June 4th. But there was massive community support for Amdani; within 6 days of his detention, there were 3 local rallies, 2500 petition signatures were gathered. Over a hundred supporting letters were sent by friends and colleagues in local and national organizations. Angelina Namiba, Programme Leader at the African HIV Policy Network said: "Amdani works tirelessly to reach his community in Nottingham with important health promotion messages. He also plays a key role in delivering national HIV prevention work. He should be allowed to stay in order to continue his pivotal work on HIV. Amdani's removal will be a setback to achieving the aims for better prevention, better services and better sexual health." Alan Simpson MP said: “To do this sensitive work you need the networks, you need the cultural awareness and you need the standing. Only Amdani Juma has all these.” Monday, June 2nd: at 5pm, 250 people gathered in Nottingham City Centre in support of Amdani Juma. Nottingham MP Alan Simpson spoke of Amdani’s irreplaceable
contribution to AIDS and HIV prevention work in the City and Council leader Jon Collins praised Amdani’s contribution to the local community over the past 5 years.
Sunday, June 8th: Amdani was moved to Colnbrook detention centre, near Heathrow Airport - ominously booked in as a short stay detainee - where he had to endure a harsher regime. Then on the day he was due to fly out, his application for a judicial review was accepted so his deportation on the Kenya Airways 8.00 pm flight for Nairobi was cancelled. His visitors inside were prepared to sit on Amdani until 8.00 pm in the event of a fast one being attempted. Outside, we watched the Kenya Airways plane climbing over Colnbrook at 8.30 pm with relief. Amdani was more relieved. Another battle won, but we still have to get him bail and win the rest of the war.
Saturday, June 14th: just after lunchtime, Amdani 'phoned with news of a riot and fire at Campsfield House IRC. Amdani was OK. But we were extremely anxious for about half an hour as the crackling of flames could be heard over the 'phone, Amdani said the fire was about 50 metres away from him and there was no sign of the Fire Brigade. Then in the next call, the Fire Brigade had turned up, and he was safely outside. The police had moved Amdani with others between two fences; football was being played (probably not with the police, because their riot shields would have got in the way) - click here to read BBC news report. At around 6.45 pm, Amdani was still outside, getting a bit cold and thought they would all be dispersed to other IRCs; we were concerned that this will somehow interfere with his bail hearing on Monday. By about mid-evening he was back in his room and he had been given a sandwich, having not had anything to eat for around 7 hours. Monday, June 16th: bail hearing. Amdani was bailed, despite the home office opposition, and came back to Nottingham in the evening. One of his bale conditions is that he cannot resume his jobs, both of which are about helping people. There was a big panic in the morning relating to the video link up which the home office/Courts had down for Colnbrook, when in fact Amdani was still in Campsfield, but fortunately Carol and Leo were on the case and sorted it in time. The struggle continues. We now have a Judicial Review to win on August 11th, as well as looking at ways that we can effectively support others from Nottingham facing similar treatment and deportation.
IT'S NOT OVER YET...IT'S STILL ESSENTIAL THAT WE GET MORE SIGNATURES ON THE PETITION; MORE LETTERS WRITTEN AND MORE E-MAILS, FAXES SENT
Apparently, Amdani’s detention and threatened removal is "...proportionate in order to maintain effective immigration control". The home office Minister of State for Borders and Immigration is Liam Byrne. His phone number is 0121 789 7287 and his email address is byrnel@parliament.uk. It is still really important that we all act as quickly as possible.
HIP PLACES TO BE DETAINEDWith Campsfield's contract about to come under review because there have been so many "incidents" (see report of fire above and also Guardian report), Minister of State for Borders and Immigration, Liam Byrne, is determined to make the UK into a vast network of detention centres. What better time, therefore, to launch our new occasional series on the many new and exciting places where we can be detained against our will. Number 27: Lindholme Immigration Removal CentreIf you're waiting to see someone in Lindholme Immigration Removal Centre because 7 of you have arrived, they've told you that there's only room for 3 in the large (and probably empty) visitor's room and you have to wait, don't worry - there's plenty to do here to pass the time.
- and that's only the outside! Just think what it's like on the inside... Quite why this place isn't on the South Yorkshire/Lincolnshire tourist trail, we can't think. We can only envy those lucky enough to spend a large portion of their lives living and working here. Reviews: Sorry, no reviews yet, but you can submit reviews to the web site engineering team through rms.titanic@hotmail.co.uk. "All of us are immigrants or descended from immigrants, it just depends how far back you go".
The Refugee Forum is a volunteer led organization, run by a volunteer management committee. The Centre has a number of paid staff, but relies heavily on the time, dedication and enthusiasm of volunteers from refugee, asylum seeking and host community backgrounds (Click here to find out more about the Centre). We offer advice, practical assitance and friendship to all refugees and asylum seekers regardless of race, religion or political opinion. Don't forget that you can shop at NNRF to raise money for the Destitution Fund. Use this search box to find what you want to buy or see below right for more details:
- and here's a new way of raising money for the Destitution fund:
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AMDANI JUMA CAMPAIGNAmdani's appeal has been turned down, he has been arrested and is due to be deported in the next few days. This has come as a bitter blow to all Amdani's friends and supporters in Nottingham. No refugee did more to integrate into the host community by working selflessly for others. So we wonder what exactly do refugees have to do to be accepted by home office officialdom? There has been so little on this web site about Amdani's campaign because representations were being made at quite high levels on his behalf and despite our anger at the way Amdani has been treated, we didn't want to put up anything that might jeopardize their successful outcome. But up to now these seem to have failed and demonstrations have been called which have attracted large numbers of people. Reports on Amdani's situation will be at the top of this page for the next few weeks.
Amdani volunteered at the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum, joined the management committee, and has been employed by NNRF since 2005 as part of our integration support team. In addition he is involved in numerous local and national organisations and campaigns, including African Initiative Support, Nottingham Council Tenants Forum, the National Refugee Integration Forum, National African HIV Prevention Program, African HIV Policy Network, Refugee Action. He also advises Nottinghamshire Social Services and other East Midlands bodies on asylum issues.
The picture on the left shows Amdani with his supporters after his appeal hearing. He is looking cheerful despite having gone through a very harrowing day. Click here for a page about Amdani's case on the Institute for Race Relations web site, and
here for
a good article in the Evening Post.
Outsourcing Abuse - what follows comes mostly from NCADC North West
"I have just read one of the most shocking reports about our immigration system that I have seen in 20 years as a Member of Parliament. The report "Outsourcing Abuse" catalogues the frightening state-sponsored violence that happens to asylum-seekers when they are being deported. This report suggests a complete failure [by the Home Office] to investigate many of the allegations. This report is distressing and upsetting for anyone to read. But for Ministers it is a damning verdict on their inability to inject even a shred of humanity into a flailing immigration system." Diane Abbott, MP Together with every right thinking person, those who read it will not want to believe what it contains. If the Home Office, Ministers and officials alike, is sensible it will pay due attention to the dossiers. They should recognise that our national reputation is not something to be treated lightly or wantonly, and that, if even one of the cases is substantiated, that amounts to something of a preventable national disgrace." Lord David Ramsbotham, GCB, CBE "I have seen many serious injuries with long lasting effects ; crushing of nerves at the wrist from forceful pulling on handcuffs, limitation of neck movement by patients whose heads were pushed under aircraft seats, numbness of the face after blows around the cheek and eye. I have also seen a dislocated wrist, giant bruises and swellings the size of my fist. I have seen far worse abuses but do not have the patient's permission to reveal confidential medical information. Our report includes evidence from 18 independent doctors. Some of these findings are worse still. They include dislocation to the knee requiring a plaster cast and several people rendered unable to walk for extended periods. Some were denied wheelchairs, pain relief and other essential treatment although in state custody." Dr Frank Arnold, independent doctor, Medical Justice "This report reveals the extent of lawless disregard for basic rules in the application of force, combined with a wholly inadequate system for investigating often extremely serious criminal allegations. As a lawyer with experience of dealing with misconduct allegations against the police and the prison service I have been shocked to discover the extent of casual racism and inhumanity from officers employed by the Home Office and its subcontracted private companies - think the police as portrayed in 'Life on Mars' - and you have a picture of where the immigration service is now." Harriet Wistrich, Birnberg Peirce & Partners "The Home Office uses charter flights and military planes to deport to places like Afghanistan and Iraq, and have even arranged a private jet to deport one suicidal 14-year old girl and her mother. Asylum applications are at a 14-year low, yet the proportional use of detention has increased 7-fold. The government is driven by seemingly arbitrary targets on deportation and plans a near doubling of detention centre capacity. We feel this all may lead to further abuse. One shudders to think what will happen if they fulfill their announcement to deal with 450,000 unresolved cases within 5 years. A third of the cases we documented were regarding alleged assaults against women and a significant number were cases of children who witnessed their parent being assaulted. This report is just the "tip of the iceberg" of horrific violence, for which the Home Office is ultimately responsible. Lord Ramsbotham has sent the 48 cases from our dossier that are highlighted in this report to Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, for investigation." Emma Ginn, the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns (NCADC) Click here to download a copy of the report.
Demand a fair hearing for refugee women todayFour years after Home Office guidelines were written to make sure women’s asylum claims were fairly heard, they’re still not being followed. In March 2004, in response to campaigning by the Refugee Women’s Resource Project, Refugee Action and others, the Home Office introduced Gender Guidelines to help Home Office asylum caseworkers recognise some of the specific issues which can lead women to claim asylum, including sexual violence. But caseworkers don’t still receive enough training on the issue, and as a result, some women’s claims for protection are still being wrongly dismissed. Denied protection in the UK, vulnerable women, and often their children too, are being detained having committed no crime. We want to see gender guidelines fully implemented, and to ensure that vulnerable women and children aren’t detained in the asylum process. Support refugee women by signing up to our campaign statement at http://www.refugee-action.org.uk/campaigns/Women.aspx#Help. Amanda
Children in detentionThe government is very keen on the rights of children unless of course they are the children of asylum seekers, in which case they're clapped in detention where they are exposed to the tender mercies of detention centre staff. Diane Abbot's Early Day Motion 634 "CHILDREN IN IMMIGRATION DETENTION 07.01.2008" only has 48 signatures, so innocent children detained is not something many MPs are exercised about. Ms Abbott's motion was:"That this House is concerned that the Government persists in detaining children and their families in immigration removal centres; notes that recent work by Save the Children, Bail for Immigration Detainees, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Legal Action for Women, Refugee Council and the Children's Commissioner of England among others have found that detention centres are not suitable places for children to live; further notes that despite these objections children continue to be held in detention centres, at times for over 28 days; believes that holding children and families who are extremely vulnerable and in need of social and psychological help contravenes a plethora of human rights principles and laws; and calls on the Government to bring an end to the appalling practice of detaining children and vulnerable people." Click here for the text of Ms Abbott's Commons speech in which she describes the appalling treatment of asylum seeker children by the immigration authorities, and the following exchanges. Click here for a list of MPs who signed up to EDM 634.
"Obviously, the people who wrote it have read the same things as I have about how frightened and traumatised the children are by the process of being dragged away to detention, so they have thought very hard about what can be done about the psychological impact on children and proposed that the uniform of immigration officers be changed. They seem to be saying that what is frightening the children is the fact that the uniforms are navy blue or black and suggesting that they should be a pale colour - maybe pink or lilac! You thought the official attitude to asylum seekers was inhumane - but did you know it could also be wacky?
Asylum seeker health care under threatThe home office and the Department of Health are considering excluding refused asylum seekers from access to all but emergency health care.
If you would like to protest about this, please download this letter, amend and edit it as you see fit,
and add your name and address. Then send it to your MP. If you read the letter, you will find out more.
The cost of getting the numbers down by oneFrequently, the call goes out to write letters, send faxes, e-mails &c in support of someone threatened with deportation. Then time goes by and no one you ask seems to know what happened to that person. In the case of Fatma Navruz, we have information about her detention in Yarlswood, her forced removal to Turkey, and what things are like for her there now.Fatma, 54, is from Turkey and was a volunteer with the Food Group earlier this year. Many of us knew her from parties, Women’s Group activities, etc. She is suffering from many serious health problems. Among these, Fatma's consultant stated that she is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and psychosis, which is in keeping with her accounts of being tortured, raped and imprisoned in her country. These outrages were committed by the Turkish authorities for her political actions in support of working people in Turkey and Kurds in particular. The home office have chosen not to believe Fatma or her consultant, and detained her in Yarlswood. The account of what happened next is from Miriam: "...She rang at 1.40 a.m. and we stayed in contact for about forty minutes. Fatma had refused to dress and was clearly doing her best to delay or inhibit removal. The banging on her door as the Yarlswood officers came for her was chilling. Given that only two women were in the room in a secure institution, the banging on the door was too loud, too insistent and unecessary for anyone, let alone someone suffering from trauma and other conditions. Fatma was distraught. She was shouted at repeatedly by a number of female officers, who warned her regularly and urgently that "the men are coming" which served to terrify her more. Fatma demanded over and over to be told where she was going and was answered with a "we don't know". When we became disconnected I continued to redial the number and Fatma answered even if she was not directly speaking with me. When "the men came" there were men and womens voices shouting at Fatma in a cacophony of mixed shouted instructions and demands as she became more terrified and began to scream continuously. I got Fatma to focus on writing my telephone number on her hand before she got to this stage. I am concerned that she has not been in touch. She repeatedly asked that I call her daughters and I called one immediately and the other I couldn't get through to. I have since spoken with both of them and neither have any idea where their mother is. She has not been in contact with them and none of her old friends know her whereabouts. I contacted a Women's Refuge in Istanbul prior to her arrival and asked that they meet her from the plane. They were unable to do so but have resolutely tried on our behalf to find out where Fatma is. They know that the police in Turkey were informed that Fatma was being deported from the UK. They realised after several failed attempts to find her on the disembark record, that she presented at the police desk alone, without papers, but using a different family name. They report her as very distressed, even disturbed, very chaotic and confused. She gave a false address and was permitted to leave the airport. Clearly Fatma did not wish to be discovered upon her return, which I think lends some weight to the fact that she has always claimed that she would be in trouble with the authorities, or feared that she would be. She arrived destitute, without her medication which was due for renewal in Nottingham the week that she was detained. Yarlswood only give medication on a daily basis, so she would not have had what she needed. She was also clearly unwell physically. She had been complaining of a painful and very bruised shoulder from an attempt to revive her late the previoius week when she collapsed in a faint at Yarlswood. She claims she was heaved and pulled by officers attempting to right her. She was being given pain relief for her shoulder. She was being treated for high blood pressure days before, and when I last spoke with her she was complaining of a very bad headache. I have asked that the Refuge check the hospitals but I have not heard whether this has happened or not. I am still trying to pursue any avenue I can think of to try and trace Fatma and hope that perhaps she will turn up in the next few days. I have had an assurance from someone who seems very reliable in the domestic violence field in Istanbul, that Fatma has not been detained by the police - this may be more to do with her using a different surname." That's how you get the asylum seeker numbers down by one. Will we ever hear about Fatma again?
Firm but humane?
The photo above shows what happens to a Kurdish refugee when he arrives back in Kurdistan after being forcibly deported. This is the individual human cost of the UK government's asylum policy which a spokesperson
recently called "firm but humane". Click here
to download International Federation of Iraq Refugees (IFIR) press release.
Events
Small World Kitchen is on the 2nd and
4th Friday of every month at the Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone St, Forest Fields. Hmmm, nice. But this yummy cooking is getting popular, so
you'd best get down there before 7.30pm BECAUSE THEY MIGHT RUN OUT OF FOOD!!!!
The CentreThe Centre is open on Monday, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am till noon for anyone to come in and use the facilities (eg computers/internet) or meet friends. There are also regular social evenings and training courses. We have a playroom for children. Interpreters are available in most refugee community languages. There are drop in advice sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 1 pm till 4 pm. Here you can find information about or help with:
You can arrange an appointment to see a benefits advisor, who can give you help with:
You can also arrange an appointment to see our "One Stop Shop Adviser", who can give you help with:
There are regular sessions to help with:
The Anti-destitution GroupThe Anti-destitution Group provides limited support to refused asylum seekers who find themselves without support, destitute or homeless. The Destitution fund is very short of money so that anti-destitution work may have to shut down unless more can be found. Please make a donation. To download a combined standing order and gift aid declaration form, click here. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, which you need to open these files, hit the Downloads button on the left. To find out more about the Anti-destitution Group hit the Destitution project button on the left.
Are your dear offspring butchering your favourite tunes?
Long Journey Home helps out musicians in exile, who arrive in the UK without their own instruments or the money to buy new ones. So they can make good use of unwanted musical instruments, either on a short or long term loan or donated to Long Journey Home or Leicester-based Farside Music's Instrument Library. If you can help please contact: Stuart Brown, Long Journey Home Co-ordinator, mobile: 07891 701133, e-mail: stuartbrown@gn.apc.org. See also www.longjourneyhome.org.uk. The Music Workshop which happens twice monthly at the Centre, is also looking for all kinds of musical instruments. So if you would like to give Amanda's trombone to them, 'phone Frank on 07905 322813. But hurry. It looks as if Justin and his delightful friends are going to get stuck into their unusual arrangement of Elgar's "Introduction and Allegro for Strings" any minute now...
Who are asylum seekers? |
MORE WAYS OF HELPING THE DESTITUTION FUNDSome of them won't cost you anything!
SHOP NNRF!We know about your late-night internet shopping binges... But it's OK. Now your hopeless addiction can benefit the destitution fund! Buy.at/nnrf is a fund-raising opportunity for NNRF. It gives access to loads of high-street and big name retailers, where you might be doing your shopping anyway. But if you do your buying through Buy.at/nnrf, you will be raising funds for Nottingham & Notts Refugee Forum. Go to www.buy.at/nnrf and click onto the retailer’s logo (or search for products). Then any purchases you make will generate a percentage for NNRF. You will know that NNRF is trying to support destitute asylum seekers who have been refused asylum but are unable to leave the UK. They have no income, other than what we can give them, as they are not entitled to benefits and are not allowed to work. NNRF is constantly seeking standing orders and one-off donations to fund this work (if you do not already donate, please consider doing so), but there is still a discrepancy between income and outgoings because of the large number of people we are helping. Already we will have to cut back on the meagre £2.50 + two bags of food we have been giving out weekly. Please help us to continue to support as many people as possible. Using www.buy.at/nnrf means you can generate extra income for this valuable work, without it costing you an extra penny. We have been told that there may occasionally be special offers, so you could even save yourself money by doing your shopping in this way! Please use www.buy.at/nnrf to do the shopping you would do anyway. Each retailer gives between 2%-12% commission on each purchase. Some give one-off payments. Destitute asylum seekers really need this money. What can we lose? GO ON! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO... Remember: it's important to aways reach your on-line shop through www.buy.at/nnrf, or the income for NNRF won't be generated. 19 Princelet StreetIn the East End of London, Spitalfields has been populated by successive waves of immigrants since the Huguenots in the 17th C: "From every people that once made their first homes here, some still live here. Even a few Hugenots survive in Spitalfields, living with people from all over the world: building communities, sharing experiences, ideas and foods; jolting us out of complacency, revitalising our economy and our culture, adding to the richness of our shared lives." This comes from an exhibition on immigration experiences called "Suitcases and Sanctuary" at 19 Princelet Street, Spitalfields. Number 19 is an extraordinary building for many reasons. We're not going to say much more about it because we want you to be as startled as we were when we first stumbled across it. If you're thinking of a trip to London, you should plan it around number 19's all too rare opening times.
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Company Number: 05352679 Registered Charity Number: 1121560