Freedom from Detention

Many of the asylum seekers who reach Britains shores, have already endured oppression and stress in their own countries, and in fleeing to the UK, they have survived an often unpredictable and perilous journey. Many people do not make it as far as Britain, and those who do have shown enormous resilience and strength"

Some of these people who make it to our shores, go on to be incarcerated by the UK authorities. " Don't forget that this means detention without trial or time limit, of people who have committed no crime and who can be and are held in high security jails together with convicted criminals, not knowing what will happen to them from one day to the next will they be released, will they be deported?"

Many suffer from depression, with low mood and inability to sleep or eat. The sensory deprivation in prison or in a detention centre means they have to deal with boredom and frustration. Many have difficulty communicating their needs in English. Some experience racial harassment. There have been instances of deliberate self harm and a number of suicides. Some find it difficult in the detention environment to deal with a previous history of detention and torture. There are concerns that their unique needs are not being met by detention centre and prison medical services.

Not only has the current system failed them, but under the present legislation the best they might hope for is to be released into the ‘Jaws’ of NASS, with all that that entails.

The system in and outside detention, recreates the oppression and injustice that they have fled from.

Blunkett’s Jam in January

"I guarantee that in the next four months we will remove the necessity and therefore the practice of anyone claiming asylum being in prison who has not justified that in the normal way by having committed a crime, or having been picked up on suspicion of committing a crime. A scandal that shouldn't have happened and it is time it was over." David Blunkett: Brighton, Oct 3rd 2001

Home Secretary, David Blunkett’s, recent vain boasting that not one asylum seeker will be held in British prisons by January. Should by treated with the contempt it deserves. Many people on hearing Blunkett’s statement, thought that this meant the release of all asylum seekers from detention. Not so, they will only be moved to so called dedicated detention centres.

"Removing the necessity",in plain english means by January, Campsfield, Tinsley, New Harmondsworth,Yarls Wood, Dungavel, Haslar, Lindholme, and Dover YO, detention centres will Blunkett, hopes, all be open and functioning with the capacity to hold 2,509 asylum seekers,a 33% increase over the present numbers of detained asylum seekers. There remains the option of making Oakington a Detention Centre proper to avoid legal difficulties, taking the number close to 3,000.

No mention of ‘failed’ asylum seekers awaiting ‘repatriation’, (deportation is now called ‘repatriation’ by the Home Office) who will if detained find themselves in prisons all over the UK.

2,002, just around the corner, will be even harsher than 2,001 for those asylum seekers, who make it to the shores of Britain. For those who do, ‘Freedom from Detention’, will be a vain hope. Surely they need ‘Freedom from Politicians’.