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Protest for Asylum Seekers and Migrants Rights - 30th January 2004
Protest
Outside Parliament Friday 30th January 2004 to Call for an unconditional
"Blunkett Amnesty" for all asylum seekers and migrants
without status in support of the European-wide day of 'Actions Against
Detention and for Migrant Rights' called by the European Social Forum
Called by: Save-Our-Souls-Immigration-Discrimination (SOSID)
Assembley point – Parliament Square, opposite St Stephen’s
Gate – look for the banners 11.00 to 14.00, Friday 30th January
2004
At 12.00 a delegation will walk to 10 Downing Street to hand in a Declaration
and a petition, and at 14.00 a copy of the Declaration will be handed
in at parliament
Protest Objectives – We intend to draw attention
to a number of issues, including:
1. The lack of rights of both asylum seekers and other migrants
2. The arbitrary & random detention of asylum seekers and other migrants
3. The high rate of refusals, due to poor decision-making by immigration
courts & tribunals, which are overturned on appeal, but which become
an instrument of anti-asylum propaganda
4. The need for fair hearings & treatment
5. Cutbacks on legal representation and legal aid funds, which make fair
hearings impossible
Our Demands:
1. The right to work for asylum seekers whilst pursuing their claims
- we do not want hand-outs
- we want to be self-supporting
- we want to contribute to society (migrants with status contribute 2.5
billion pounds annually to the exchequer)
2. An unconditional "Blunkett amnesty" for all asylum seekers
and those migrants without status
3. An end to the criminalisation, demonisation, and scapegoating of asylum
seekers and migrants without status.
4. Adequate access to and funding for legal representation
5. An end to the politicization of Migration Legislation
SOSID:
SOSID has been formed for this event by an African community based group
of a particular nationality, who don't want to focus on themselves as
the message and demands are for all asylum seekers/economic refugees/migrants
without status.
Having been preached to about human and civil rights from so-called developed
countries, asylum seekers/economic refugees find themselves at the crossroad
of civilization in today's UK where actions and procedures are in direct
contradiction with the universal declaration of human rights.
Was the Geneva Convention only intended for white Europeans after World
War II?
Were human rights good enough for the then asylum seekers and not
for nowadays?
Is it a question of politics or humanity?.
SOSID contact : Didier on 07949 282 445 /dikeka@onetel.com
Help needed. Please volunteer
Please send your ideas and proposals for wording of.
1. The Declaration
2. When we email around the final version of the Declaration, please add
your group's name as a Supporting Organisation
3. An accompanying Petition
4. Press Letter, advertising the event, and, challenging them on their
coverage on immigration in general
5. Anyone capable of setting the Petition up on-line
6. Getting any drummers to come, and them also lending their drums to
others on the day
7. Getting face-painters to come
8. Banner-making session in Derby, Sat 24th Jan (lift available from Bedford)
9. Later, distributing leaflets, posters, email notifications
to your various groups
10. Inclusion of the SOSID protest on any 31st Jan Day Of Action publicity
Enquiries/further information:
Bondeko Congolese Association
124 Osmaston Road
Derby
DE1 2RF
ukbondeko @yahoo.co.uk
07949 282 445
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