[noborders-brum] Call for International Day of Action Against Immigration Prisons

[NoBorders UK]

Call for International Day of Action Against Immigration Prisons
on 22 September, 2007

All over the world, refugees and migrants are being locked up in special
prisons, disguised under various names, for the only 'crime' of fleeing
wars or persecution or wanting to improve their lives. Without trial and
with no automatic bail review, they can face months and years of
incarceration in terrible conditions, before being forcibly deported to
unsafe countries. The very idea of 'administrative detention' is a
violation of people's basic human rights and fundamental freedoms. There
have also been numerous reports of abuse and mistreatment at the hands of
'staff', lack or denial of medical care, obstruction of detainees' trying
to handle their legal matters and so on. In the most extreme cases, these
desperate conditions have led migrant prisoners to take their own lives.

In many countries, immigration detention has become an integral part of
the the immigration system. It is certainly one of the most brutal and
dehumanising aspects of this racist system whereby innocent and vulnerable
people are interned in prison for political ends. In 25 EU member states
alone, there are 174 such prisons, while more have been built in
neighbouring countries as part of externalising the borders of Fortress
Europe.

In the UK, there are 10 so-called Immigration Reception Centres, with a
total capacity of 2,506 places, but the government is aiming for a total
of 4,000 places by building new detention centres. Seven of these are run
by private companies contracted by the Home Office, while three are run by
the Prison Service. In addition, there are many so-called Short-term
Holding Facilities at many ports and airports throughout the country as
well as at a number of Immigration Reporting Centres.

On the other hand, resistance, both inside and outside these prisons, has
been getting stronger and stronger. Hunger strikes, riots and pickets have
become a common occurrence. But obviously not enough is being done as
thousands of people continue to suffer in their cells.

The UK No Borders network is calling on all concerned individuals and
groups all over the world to join us in an international coordinated day
of action against immigration prisons everywhere on 22 September, 2007.
While we realise that resistance is continuous and not confined to 'days
of action', we call upon refugees and migrants and their supporters
throughout the world to organise their own actions on this day, both
inside and outside immigration prisons, in a global united cry: NO TO
IMMIGRATION PRISONS; NO TO RACIST BORDER REGIMES!

The Day of Action will be during the first No Border Camp in the UK, to be
held between 19 and 24 September near Gatwick Airport (see
www.noborders.org.uk). The Camp was prompted by government plans to build
a new immigration prison at Gatwick, designed to hold 426 migrant
prisoners. Over the last 9 years, the worldwide No Border network has
organised many similar camps, including those in Tijuana (Mexico), Genova
(Italy), Woomera (Australia), Frankfurt (Germany) and recently
Transcarpathia (Ukraine). Each camp often focuses on a specific issue but
is ultimately campaigning against borders and for the freedom of movement
for all people.

This call also follows many years of global, decentralised, coordinated
campaigning, which saw two European Days of Action on 31 January, 2004,
and 2 April, 2005, and an International Day of Migration-Related Actions
on 7 October, 2006.

Please spread this call as widely as possible. If you want to add your
name to the list of signatories, please email noborders-uk at riseup.net.

No Borders UK
Email: noborders-uk at riseup.net
Website: www.noborders.org.uk