New Labour - New Prisons For Asylum Seekers!

National Protest - Close Racist Detention Centres

Saturday 30th June 2001

12.00 - 2.00pm

Harmondsworth Detention Centre

Colnbrook By-pass (A4 North of Heathrow)

With music & speakers. Bring banners, whistles, etc.

Car Cavalcade: meet up 10.30am in M4 westbound Heston Services (details from Elane on 07958 508492). Public Transport - U3 bus from Heathrow or 81 bus from opposite Hounslow West tube station.

New Harmondsworth - 'Family Friendly' Racism

The new 550 bed Detention centre will be the biggest in Britain (until they open Yarls Wood with 900 beds). The official opening date is 29th June. Harmondsworth will have provision for imprisoning families with kids and even provision for disabled men and women.

Detainees can't get out if they are ill or have a bail hearing. They will just be transferred to the 'enhanced health care unit' and statutory bail hearings will take place inside in the special bail court. For 'troublemakers' there will be special isolation units to lock away both men and women.

New Harmondsworth, will be run by Sodexho (the firm who issue asylum vouchers), through their subsidiary United Kingdom Detention Services (UKDS).

David Blunket the new Home Secretary intends to carry on where Jack Straw left of in his persecution of asylum seekers. One of his first acts will to be enforce part of the Detention Centre Rules (more of New Labour's legalised racism*.) He will give Sodexho permission to employ asylum seekers at 79p per hour. To do the work of domestics, cooks, cleaners, painters etc in and around the Harmondsworth detention centre.

Called by: Close Down Harmondsworth Campaign

Sponsored by: Barbed Wire Britain; Brent Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers; Bruce Kent; Close Campsfield Campaign; Close Down Harmondsworth Campaign; Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers; Ealing Trades Council; Jewish Socialist Group; Louise Christian; National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns; Raised Voices choir; Slough Trades Council; Socialist Alliance; West Midlands Anti-Deportation Campaigns.

For more information contact:

Oliver & Eve Oliver.New@btinternet.com

or Ray raybarkley@tesco.net

Transport from London

A Coach organised by the Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers
will leave York Way, Kings Cross, at 10.00am; returns at 4.00pm
Cost: £10 waged, £5.00 unwaged
Book your ticket now by phoning 07958 478628
or e-mailing    Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers

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*Detention Centre Rules: (in force from April 1st 2001)

Regime and paid activity

17. - (1) All detained persons shall be provided with an opportunity to participate in activities to meet, as far as possible, their recreational and intellectual needs and the relief of boredom.

(2) Wherever reasonably possible the development of skills and of services to the centre and to the community should be encouraged.

(3) Detained persons shall be entitled to undertake paid activities to the extent that the opportunity to do so is provided by the manager.

(4) Detained persons undertaking activities under paragraph (3) shall be paid at rates approved by the Secretary of State, either generally or in relation to particular cases.

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*Complete copies of 'Detention Centre Rules' can be obtained from NCADC. return a blank message, with subscribe Detention Centre Rules in the subject line.

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Copies of 'How Harmondsworth will be run' (facilities, services, etc) available from NCADC, return a blank message, with subscribe 'Harmondsworth regime' in the subject line.

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