[noborders-brum] [Fwd: Re: amnesty campaign]

Fri Mar 23 12:12:05 UTC 2007

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Re: [noborders-uk] amnesty campaign
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi

Their web-site is actually called Strangers into Citizens. It can be
found here: http://www.strangersintocitizens.org.uk/

The web-site emphasises ' earned amnesty' - and  champions the 'one
off regularisation'  of honest hard working migrants as a law and
order measure to decrease the 'shadow economy' which acts as a cover
for people smugglers, drug traffickers and terrorists . It is also an
administrative measure to deal with the backlog of asylum seekers-
which I guess might appeal to the government which is wondering what
to do with the  so called 'legacy" of back-log cases, now that the
New Asylum Model is about to come into effect

basically their aim is to reassure the "British public' and the
government that an amnesty will only be for the deserving (presumably
the IND will be the ones who get to decide who this is) and as such,
they argue that an amnesty can also serve to make British borders
more secure and border controls more effective

of course this is nonsense - as most people (though not all) enter
Britain legally and then latter become irregular by overstaying,
having their asylum claim rejected etc., - so the pool of irregular
and otherwise potentially deportable people will just grow again back
even if the tighter controls are put in place

I've also got a copy of the 5th draft of their strategy paper, from
last November, which was written by Austen Ivereigh - a former
adviser to Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor

In this document he sets out 5 criteria a British amnesty might
include so as to re-assure the 'public' and the state

a. five years of continuous residence in Britain (this seems to have
gone down to 2 years on the web-site)
b. no criminal record (I've been told by a T & G activists that this
has now softened to no serious criminal record)
c. a track record of employment (which asylum seekers won't have and
many irregular workers will find hard to establish)
d. positive employer references
e. character references from community leaders (think Catholic and
other churches here)
f. proficiency in English

Okay, as I noted in brackets, following feedback from other groups
such as the JCWI, the unions, asylum seekers etc. - the Strangers
into Citizens seem to relaxed some of the conditions - but what their
arguing for is still a very conditional regularisation -

however, because there are currently many, many people who
desperately want their status in the uk to be normalised - it is
quite likely that this initiative will mobilise a lot of asylum
seekers and other migrants -
COF wants to mobilise  people for a few marches as a publicity stunt
and as a show of strength - but then the leaders will work the real
deal - acceptable to the Home Office and the Sun - behind closed door
- a bit like how trade union officials work

My own opinion is that NoBorders activists ought to intervene in this
process - high-lighting the short comings of this amnesty -
but more importantly high- lighting how migrant controls work as
labour-force management on a transnational level
Migrant labour is crucial in the process of precarisation of the
whole work  process including that of workers with full residency
status / citizenship

We need to be advocating for migrants  and asylum seekers to organise
independently of the church and politicians - and to seek alliances
with other people in resistance on both the local and the trans-
national levels- not just amongst the great and the (self-defined) good

yo - rant over
see you on the demos-
gregx

On 22 Mar 2007, at 13:00, Rebecca wrote:

>
> yeah, Strangers into Citizens is the campaign of the
> Citizens Organising Foundation - encompassing London
> Citizens, various different London citizens and
> Birmingham Citizens - http://www.cof.org.uk/
>
> yet here they don't seem to mention their campaign!
>
>
>
> --- noborders-glasgow wrote:
>
>>    _____
>>
>> From: Emma Ginn
>> [mailto:ncadc-north-west at ncadc.org.uk]
>> Sent: 19 March 2007 09:33
>> To: Recipient List Suppressed:
>> Subject: Mass for Migrant Workers + Strangers into
>> Citizens March
>>
>>
>>
>> ===========
>>
>>  NCADC News Service
>>
>> ===========
>>
>>
>>
>> For a Pathway to Legal status for Vulnerable
>> Migrants
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> The Birmingham Citizens Assembly
>>
>> Tuesday 20 March - 7.30pm to 9.15pm
>>
>> Great Hall of Birmingham University
>>
>>
>>
>> This will be an 800-strong gathering in support of
>> Strangers into Citizens.
>> Among the many exciting events at that Assembly will
>> be the first showing of
>> the campaign DVD, a compelling five-minute insight
>> into the world of illegal
>> immigrants. We will later be streaming the DVD on
>> the web and making it
>> available for organisations supportive of the
>> campaign.
>>
>>
>>
>> Contact if you would like to attend
>>
>> Andrew Crossley : HYPERLINK
>>
> "mailto:Andrew.crossley at birminghamcitizens.org.uk"Andrew.crossley at birm
> ingham
>> citizens.org.uk / 077 9383 9432
>>
>>
>>
>> Two coaches from London
>>
>> West London (Greenford Station on the Central Line)
>> - leaving at 3pm
>>
>> Contact : Cecilia Finn on 020 8575 8222 ext. 473.
>>
>>
>>
>> Whitechapel (112 Cavell Street - near Whitechapel
>> tube) - leaving at 2pm
>>
>> Contact : Austen on HYPERLINK
>>
> "mailto:austen.ivereigh at cof.org.uk"austen.ivereigh at cof.org.uk)
>>
>>    _____
>>
>> Mass for Migrant Workers + Strangers into Citizens
>> March to Trafalgar Square
>>
>> Monday May 7th - 10am onwards
>>
>> Westminster Cathedral
>>
>> London
>>
>> (nearest tube Victoria)
>>
>>
>>
>> 10am - Multi-ethnic Mass for Migrant Workers at
>> Westminster Cathedral
>>
>> Celebrated by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor
>>
>>
>>
>> 11.30 - Strangers into Citizens March to Trafalgar
>> Square
>>
>>
>>
>> 12.30 - Strangers into Citizens Rally in Trafalgar
>> Square
>>
>>
>>
>> 5pm - Choral Evensong at Westminster Abbey
>>
>> With prayers of thanksgiving for the contribution of
>> migrant workers.
>>
>>
>>
>> We have decided on Trafalgar Square for a number of
>> reasons - not least that
>> we want this to be the largest ever demonstration of
>> migrants and their
>> supporters in the history of the UK.
>>
>>
>>
>> We are now badly in need of donations and sponsors
>> to pay for banners,
>> badges, stewards, leaflets and other costs on 7th
>> May. Please ask your
>> organisations to consider contributing, and if you
>> know of potential
>> sponsors, please contact them - or Austen Ivereigh
>> (Strangers into Citizens
>> co-ordinator) to. Cheques payable to "Citizen
>> Organising Foundation -
>> Strangers into Citizens campaign" and sent to COF,
>> 112 Cavell St., London E1
>> 2JA. Thank you !
>>
>>
>>
>> Strangers into Citizens strapline
>>
>> We have changed our strapline to avoid the words
>> "amnesty" and "workers" -
>> it now reads "Call for a pathway to legal rights for
>> vulnerable migrants",
>> which is more inclusive of people trapped in the
>> asylum logjam. A revised
>> 2-page summary of the campaign proposal with the new
>> strapline is available.
>>
>>
>>
>> Strangers into Citizens further information
>>
>> http://www.strangersintocitizens.org.uk/
>>
>> Campaign Co-ordinator:
>>
>> Austen Ivereigh - 0207 375 1658 /
>> austen.ivereigh at cof.org.uk
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Shiar [mailto:shiar at riseup.net]
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Does anyone here have any info on the amnesty
>>> campaign talked about in
>>>
>>> Glasgow? Can't find anything useful on the web!
>>>
>>>