Demonstration at Yarl's Wood

Having reached the line of police outside the main gate, we all sat down on the grass, ate our sandwiches and listened to speakers who had spent time in Yarl's Wood while a police helicopter flew around aimlessly above. Apparently, all Yarl's Wood staff had been told not to wear their uniforms today in case we spotted them. A doctor said how appalled she was, when first asked to visit Yarl's Wood, at the traumatized condition of the women and children interned there, whose only crime had been to flee violence in their homelands. A Ugandan man spoke of the good job he had had in Uganda and how he wanted to be able to work here. He had been in Yarl's Wood for two and a half months, then he was released but his wife and two children were kept inside. Ah, that wacky old UK Border Agency eh? He was allowed back in to be with his family and eventually they were all released. He said "if I tell you about the food in Yarl's Wood you wont want to eat anything else today; and they make you queue for biscuits; you're only allowed two - how much does a biscuit cost?" "Less than a helicopter" someone piped up. More than half of women imprisoned in Yarl's Wood in 2006 had no legal representation. This is largely due to cuts in legal aid. Of the 70% of women that had reported rape, nearly half had been detained for over 3 months.

We were feeling dissapointed that it didn't seem possible to contact the women inside - that they wouldn't know we were all out here. Then someone held a mobile phone to the microphone and some of the women on the inside broadcast to the demonstration. Some of them have been in Yarl's Wood 2 or 3 years and spoke angrily of the ill treatment of themselves and their children. "They treat us like animals" said one; "there's no human rights in this country" said another. As we were packing up to go home, there was a final call from a woman who said one of the guards had just virbally abused her and threatened to beat her up "it's no good complaining, they all stick together," she said. More demo photos &c on NCADC web site.

To quote one of the placards:

"Bedford, you can't say you didn't know"

On the left, shot of the entire flock, one little fellow perched on a wall; next, one appears to have forgotten which end of the camera to point at the demonstrators. Then a local press photographer is taking a shot of a canary who is hoping that the lamp-post he is hiding behind will conceal him from the demonstrators. Finally, the demonstration has reached its objective only to find the whole flock waiting. Must bring some bird seed next time.

Ludwig Koch

• UK Border Agency's Yarl's Wood page, capacity, how to get there, phone numbers, visiting times, the wonderful facilities for children &c.
• - which is run for them by Serco (bringing service to life), who as well as running Yarl's Wood, also makes money out of providing support services for various armed forces, managing the UK Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston - you get the picture. According to their web site: "We ensure all detainees are treated with dignity and respect".
• This Guardian report is about an unannounced inspection by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons at Yarl's Wood in early 2008; also a link to the report itself, which said "...an immigration removal centre can never be a suitable place for children and we were dismayed to find cases of disabled children being detained and some children spending large amounts of time incarcerated."
• For the response of Medical Justice to the inquiry into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood in 2006, click here. Also a link to the enquiry report itself.
• Indymedia/NCADC report of the fire at Yarl's Wood in 2002.

That's right, THERE'S NO BLOODY POLES. They've gone missing. So if you can shed any light on their whereabouts, please contact the manufacturers at rms.titanic@hotmail.co.uk.