Mothers Day Protest - Say No to Locking up Asylum Seekers

Organized by Friends of Refugees Ayrshire

Sunday 30th March 1.30pm

Dugavel Removal/detention Centre

Near Strathaven South Lanarkshire

     Late in the 1600's, in England began an annual observance we now call "Mothering Sunday". It was celebrated during lent, on the fourth Sunday. On Mothering Sunday the servants of the wealthy, who generally lived with their employers, were encouraged to return home and honor their mothers. It was traditional for them to bring along a special cake to celebrate the occasion.

       However, today here in Scotland where a number of children are imprisoned within Dungavel Detention Centre, sometimes separate from their mothers, there is little or no chance of these children participating in the normal activities of 'Mothering Sunday'

      We at Friends of the Refugees Ayrshire find the practise of detaining children including babies within Dungavel Prison outrageous and totally unacceptable. We urge you to join us on  Mothers Day, the 30th of march at our gathering and vigil outside Dungavel Detention Centre. All are most welcome.

Enquiries/further information contact:
Arthur West c/o East Ayrshire Unison Office
01563-570248
glascamref@hotmail.com

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Scottish Bishops condemn detention of children

     "It is a disgrace that young children from perhaps the age of five to 14 are held in a prison environment"  Bishop John Mone

     Catholic bishops in Scotland have began a national campaign to free children from detention. They have condemned the holding of children in Dungavel Removal/detention centre.

     President of the Catholic Church's 'Justice and Peace Commission', Bishop John Mone recently visited Dungavel and was quoted by BBC News Online as saying, "I feel it is a disgrace that young children from perhaps the age of five to 14 are held in a prison environment and are deprived of many of the rights that are enshrined in the Declaration of Human Rights,"

     Plans are in progress to place petitions protesting against the detention of children in every Catholic church in Scotland.

Michael Connarty Scottish Labour MP, on the detention of children "It is wrong, it is immoral"  

     A mother and her three children were moved to Dungavel Removal/detention centre from Harmondsworth Removal/detention centre this week. On arrival the mother and two youngest children were placed in the family unit and the eldest daughter in the main unit, which meant they were separated as there is no interaction between the two units. Initially management at Dungavel said it was the rules the eldest daughter was not a minor and had to remain in the adult wing. It was only after strong protests by the mother that the daughter was moved to the family unit, so the family could be together.

     Much attention has been paid to the Ay family (Yurdurgal Ay, a Kurdish woman from Turkey, and her four children, Beriwan 14, Newroz 12, Medya 7 and Dilovan 11) who are still detained at Dungavel, who have been detention for eight months and seem to be no nearer to release.

     "We can see no justification for the detention of children. The risk of absconding does not outweigh the damage done to children being denied their freedom."
           Scottish Parliament's Cross Party Group on Refugees and Asylum seekers , April 2002

BBC News Online article: Bishops condemn asylum 'disgrace'

Asylum children policy 'immoral'

Ay Family Must be Allowed to Stay

Scottish MPs, demand that the detention of families with children must stop