Haslar Immigration Detainees to Stage Hunger Strike

A group of asylum seekers from Eastern Europe detained at Haslar Immigration Removal Centre, are planning to go on hunger strike for three days this week. They will be refusing food on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 22nd to 24th April 2003.

The detainees have sent letters to the Home Office and local newspapers listing a number of grievances which were raised last year and remain unresolved:

   ] Bad food, poor choice and often not properly cooked

   ] No adequate medical service

   ] Detainees not kept informed of their situation

   ] Hygienic equipment which is of poor quality and often broken

   ] Canteen facilities poor

   ] Only 50p a day pocket money

   ] Psychological conditions and other circumstances of Haslar such as an environment which resembles prison conditions

   ] Haslar staff are rude and rarely assist detainees with access to Home Office immigration officials on site.

            Haslar, extract of Anne Ower's (Chief Inspector of Prisons) hard hitting report on the UK detention estate.

What you can do:
                                        The detainees would like you to Fax/write direct to the: Governor of Haslar Mel Jones, and ask him to address the issues raised by the detainees, and send a copy to the Home Secretary.

Governor: Mel Jones
Haslar Immigration Removal Centre
2 Dolphin Way
Gosport
Hants PO12 2AW
Fax 02392 604001

Home Secretary
David Blunkett
Home Office
50 Queen Annes Gate
London SW1H 9AT
Fax: 020 7273 4647

Background: Haslar, theres too much to tell, here are a few pages many more on NCADC website.

Haslar - a place of no return ... The Haslar Centre's sole purpose is to hold asylum seekers pending their removal. It is a place of no return. http://www.ncadc.org.uk/letters/newszine31/haslar.html

Asylum Seekers on Hunger Strike at Haslar Removal Centre. Detainees at Haslar Removal Centre, have begun a hunger strike, after another http://www.ncadc.org.uk/letters/newszine31/hungerstrike.html

"Detention kills" - Vigil in memory of Mikhail Bodnarchuk... Following the tragic suicide of Mikhail at Haslar removal/detention prison on the 31st of January 2003 there will be a vigil of remembrance outside the centre. ...http://www.ncadc.org.uk/letters/newszine31/mikhail2.html

Inspection of five Immigration Service custodial establishments
... Haslar - Lindholme - Campsfield House - Tynsley House - Oakington. ... At Haslar the physical environment was unsafe and unsatisfactory. ...http://www.ncadc.org.uk/letters/newszine33/anneowers.html

Aylum Seekers under threat of assault by riot squads
Update: Haslar, Monday September 10th: ... =====.
Haslar Detention/prison, Hunger Strike and refusal to return to dormitories. ...http://www.ncadc.org.uk/letters/news23/has.html

My Life is Hanging on a Cobweb Thread
There is no time limit to my imprisonment in Haslar detention/prison, yet I was not sent here by any UK court. Convicted criminals have more rights than me. ...http://www.ncadc.org.uk/letters/news19/char.html

An asylum seeker from Tanzania writes:
... agree to be deported. I was told that I was going to be taken to Haslar. They did not say that Haslar was a prison. First, they took ...http://www.ncadc.org.uk/letters/news23/tanz.html

Asylum Seekers 'Hunger Strike' Smashed by MUFTI Squads
Still news of the decision quickly reached asylum seekers detained at, Campsfield and Harmondsworth detention centres, Haslar, Lindholme and Rochester Detention ... http://www.ncadc.org.uk/letters/news24/mufti2.html

Source for this page: Haslar Detainees

The contents of this page are the sole responsibility of the author/s.

==============
Disclaimer:

NCADC's web site is an important part of our work in educating the public on immigration, asylum and anti-deportation issues. As part of that work our web site hosts news and views from different individuals, organisations and campaigns working in the same field as us. The contents of named/signed articles are the sole responsibility of the author/s and should not be taken as endorsement of any kind.

NCADC takes no responsibility for the content of external websites linked from ncadc.org.uk and links should not be taken as endorsement of any kind.

NCADC reserves the right to omit or edit the whole or any part of material submitted for publication.