[sheffield-noborders] deporting children - day of action

[Alison Higgins]

Stop Deporting Children & Students - Day of Action

Email : info at standup4children.org
Web : www.standup4children.org


London & Manchester Demonstrate Saturday 19th November 2005

Stop All Deportations ! Scrap Section 9!
"My name is Daniel. I'm 15.   Me and my family face deportation to the
Congo.   There is a war there and my life would be finished. One of my
mum's friends 
was deported and killed in a prison in Congo. If we go back, we might
also end up in prison, so please help us. I am scared that I would be
forced to become a soldier. I don't want to be a child soldier. I want
to be a football 
player. I play for a local team - when I'm older, I want to play for
England." 
Daniel Sukula.


Manchester
12 noon - assemble : Manchester University Students Union, Oxford Road
1.30pm - Rally & Performances : Peace Gardens, St Peter's Square,
Manchester Followed by : Young People's Forum - Town Hall, Albert
Square, Manchester


London
1pm : Assemble in Horseguards Avenue (off Whitehall)
2.30 pm : Hyde Park for a Rally
Contact : Tel 0207 502 6749
Email : info at standup4children.org
Web : www.standup4children.org

Manchester march with Š
Destin & Sarah Sukula - primary school pupils
Taimoor Hassan - secondary school pupil
Darlain Tchoua - college student
Š and many more

Other speakers :
Jason Travis - Teacher & Bolton National Union of Teachers
Mark Krantz - Teacher & Chair Manchester CDAS
Paul Barns - Head Teacher Cheetham Community School
Rob Owen - Secretary, University of Manchester Student Union Flores
Sukula - Student and Sukula Family Campaign Rena Wood - Assistant Branch
Secretary UNISON Dr Rhetta Moran - RAPAR

The Government will stop at nothing to satisfy their arbitrary targets -
seemingly, deportation at any cost, including children. They placed a
general 
reservation to the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, meaning
children's 
rights are less important than their immigration status.

In Britain, under new trial "Section 9" legislation children and young
people 
from so-called "failed" asylum seeking families have been evicted, made
destitute and face being taken from their loving and capable parents,
and put into 
care. In October 2005, three children were "constructively" orphaned
when their mother was deported to Uganda. Current and future legislation
puts children 
in ever greater danger.

What happened to the Government slogan "every child counts" ?

School is meant to be a safe place, yet some children have been
"snatched" from school and taken to Removal Centers, characterised by
hunger-strikes, self-harm, and suicide. The UK is the only European
country to detain children 
indefinitely. From there, children are deported dangerous countries like
Angola, 
Somalia, or the Congo - countries devastated by years of civil war and
where human rights are routinely abused. Some of the children were born
in the UK and 
have never been to those countries.
Students have been refused enrolment, or thrown out of college half way
through their course, made destitute, or detained.

Young people should not have to live in this climate of fear, denied
their basic human rights to an education, to become a useful member of
society, to be 
brought up in a spirit of, tolerance, and friendship. We call on
everyone to get behind refugee communities to defend a life free from
fear for all young people.

How you can help protect young people Š

* Make an 'Umbrella with a message' for the demo - join Destin,Sarah,
Taimoor, Darlain and others - meet at the Students Union at 11am on Sat
19th Nov for 
umbrella & placard making, and refreshments

* Ask class mates to join in. Give this leaflet to your teacher or
tutor.

* Add your name to the list of supporters of this protest.

* Organise a mini bus from your school or college.

* Organise a meeting at your school, college, church, mosque, or group

* Sign the declaration - www.schoolsagainstdeportations.org

* Complain to the Minister for Children, Beverley Hughes MP - Morris
Hall, Atkinson Rd, Urmston, Manchester, M41 9AD

* Donate towards the costs of this demo - write "Nov 19th" on the back
of a cheque Payable to 'Defend Asylum Seekers', PO Box 111, Chorlton,
M21 OYU

* Pass a resolution in your union.


* Details of sponsorship, model union resolution, for speakers, or any
info
- 
mark.krantz at ntlworld.com or call 07765 122 829


**********************************
Letter to schools and unions

Dear union members, teachers, parents, pupils, students, and supporters,
Many schools and colleges have now had first hand experience of the
feeling that Government will stop at nothing to satisfy their arbitrary
targets - seemingly, deportation at any cost, including children. The
government placed a 
general reservation to the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child,
meaning children's rights are less important than their immigration
status.

School is meant to be a safe place, yet some children have been
"snatched" from school and taken to Removal Centers, characterised by
hunger-strikes, self-harm, and suicide. The UK is the only European
country to detain children 
indefinitely. From there, children are deported to dangerous countries
like Angola, Somalia, or the Congo - countries devastated by years of
civil war and where 
human rights are routinely abused. Some of the children were born in the
UK and have never been to those countries. Students have been refused
enrollment, or thrown out of college half way through their course, made
destitute, or detained.

In Britain, under new trial "Section 9" legislation children and young
people 
from so-called "failed" asylum seeking families have been evicted, made
destitute and face being taken from their loving and capable parents,
and put into 
care. In October 2005, three children were "orphaned" when their mother
was d eported to Uganda. Current and future legislation puts children in
ever greater 
danger.


We wonder what happened to the Government slogan "every child counts".

Young people should not have to live in this climate of fear, denied
their basic human rights to an education, to become a useful member of
society, to be 
brought up in a spirit of, tolerance, and friendship. We call on
everyone to get behind refugee communities to defend a life free from
fear for all young people.

We urge you to participate in the Saturday November 19th rally to Stop
Deporting Children & Students in Manchester and London.

Branches of the National Union of Teachers, the National Union of
Students, UNISON and many others are supporting this event.

In Manchester we will gather at 11am at the Manchester University
Students Union on Oxford Road for refreshments and to make "umbrellas
with a message" for 
the march. Umbrellas provide protection from the rain. Young asylum
seekers seek protection in the UK, but often don't get it, and
increasingly seem to need protection from the UK Government.

We will assemble at 12 noon at Students Union ready for the march to the
Peace Gardens in St Pete's Square where will hold rally and some
performances at 
1.30pm, followed by a "Young People's Forum" in the Town Hall in Albert
Square.

In London, the assembly point is Horseguards Avenue (off Whitehall) at
1pm and there will be a march to Hyde Park for a rally there at 2.30pm.
For details 
please contact ; 0207 502 6749 / info at standup4children.org

Schools and colleges have successfully campaigned against unjust and
inhumane 
deportation of their pupils and students

The Okolo Family was facing deportation - a massive campaign was
mobilised by 
St Philip's CE Primary School, together with churches, trade unions and
the local community in Hulme, Manchester. The Okolo Family won their
right to remain in the UK. The Okolo's campaign raised many issues
relevant to teaching 
citizenship, so the the family and the school, together with Greater
Manchester 
Immigration Aid Unit and Save the Children published a Teacher's Pack
which is a 
useful tool in an examination of values, promoting moral, social and
cultural 
development, and has direct relevance to the History curriculum.

'Our schools should be given the status of embassies"

The last year saw a steep rise in calls to National Coalition of Anti
Deportation Campaigns and other organisations from schools. Many
teachers were 
concerned about Immigration officers removing children from their
classrooms, in 
many cases the parents were not present, which is in complete breach of
Home Office guidelines on 'Family Removal Policy'.

Teachers have come into class on a Monday and found some of their pupils
missing - children and their parents had been arrested over the weekend
; detained 
or deported.
Many schools started campaigns last year to stop classmates being
deported - from Plymouth to Canterbury, London, Manchester, Bolton,
Sunderland, Glasgow
- 
school children went onto the streets with petitions. Whilst a few
campaigns lost, many won.

In Ireland, the National Teachers' Organisation president said
deportations were 'terrorising pupils' and 'Our schools should be given
the status of embassies. Parents should have an assurance that when
their children are placed in a 
school, they will not be abducted from their place of learning by the
state.' 
His stand came after public outcry against the deportation of Nigerian
student Olunkunle Elunkanlo who was later allowed back to Ireland.

The actions inspired a new campaign group 'Schools Against
Deportations', who 
are calling for teachers, students and others in education to support a
national declaration against the deportation of children and young
people in schools and colleges. Supporters can sign up to the
declaration at a new website 
launched in April - http://www.schoolsagainstdeportations.org/ In France
and Belgium, the campaign group 'education without borders' has similar
objectives.

Across the country, teachers, trade unionists, families and churches
have come together to protect and defend asylum seeking children.

A primary school in Rochdale, 40% of whose pupils are asylum seekers, is
campaigning to prevent the deportation of seven pupils and their
families, from 
Angola, Bolivia and the D R Congo.

Eva and Lorin Sulaiman were arrested with their mother at their home in
Portsmouth - Lorin's friends from Mayfield School swung into action with
a 50-page 
petition, letters to local MP's and a high-profile local media campaign.
The Home Office stayed the deportation and released the family, pending
a review of 
their case which resulted in winning 2 years leave to remain.

Canterbury High School pupils held demonstration in support of
classmates Amin Buratee and Abrahim - Amin won

Pupils from Mayfield School in Plymouth held a march and rally in
support of their classmates, Hana and Sebrin Thaha

Home Office forced to pay ?45,000.00 in damages to a Kosovan family who
were unlawfully deported



Join in on the 19th November

Get your whole class, school or college to participate

Add your school, college, union, group to the list of supporters of this
protest

Organise a mini bus from your school or college.

Organise a meeting at school, college, or group - we can provide
speakers

Donate towards the costs of this protest (please write "Nov 19th" on the
back 
of a
cheque Payable to 'Defend Asylum Seekers', PO Box 111, Chorlton. M21
OYU)

Pass a resolution in your union - contact mark.krantz at ntlworld.com /
07765 122 829


Thanks in advance for your support and we look forward to seeing you.


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