Saturday 16 December will see another protest in a continued campaign at Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre (IRC). Protestors continue to call for the centre’s closure and to campaign against the UK government’s “cruel and inhumane” immigration policies. These include the indefinite detention of vulnerable people and the unlawful Rwanda plan. Derwentside IRC opened almost two years ago and the government has said that it will be converted into an all-male facility in 2024.
No such thing as an ‘illegal asylum-seeker’
The campaigners will this Saturday, contest again, that there is no such thing as an ‘illegal asylum-seeker’. Everyone has a right to seek asylum in another country. When seeking asylum, a person enters into a legal process of refugee status determination. People who don’t qualify for protection as refugees will not receive refugee status and may be deported, but just because someone doesn’t receive refugee status doesn’t mean they are a bogus asylum-seeker.
Within its recent ‘Illegal Migration Bills’ the UK government has dramatically reduced the number of ‘legal’ and safe ways to migrate to the UK, unless you earn over £40 000. The government bills and in particular its ‘Rwanda Plan’ continue to be contested in the courts and to be found ‘illegal’ under existing UK and International laws.
The UKs ‘Hostile Environment’ means that those seeking asylum are now ‘housed’ in ex-prisons, army camps and barges such as the Bibby Stockholm. For those who thought they had reached a place of safety and fairness this is often catastrophic to their mental health leading to self-harm and suicide, as seen this week.
In recent years, conflict, insecurity, and the effects of climate change, war and conflict have heavily contributed to the forced movement whether within countries or across borders. In 2020 over 281 million people were international migrants while over 59 million people were internally displaced by the end of 2021.
Many of those fleeing war, persecution and gender-based violence. More than 50% of the people on the move around the world are women and children. Evidence suggests that women are subject to violence on every stage of their journeys, often fleeing gender-based violence in their home countries, traveling from conflict zones, easy prey for traffickers, and then subject to violent border push backs. They are often forced to stay in unsafe and squalid accommodation (including outside), some giving birth en route, before finally reaching a place of safety only to be subjected to state violence and inhumanity.
Regardless of the reasons that compel people to move, migrants and displaced people represent some of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups in society, and are often exposed to abuse and exploitation, have limited access to essential services including healthcare, and are faced with xenophobic attacks and stigma fuelled by misinformation. On the other hand, many migrant workers are often in temporary, informal, or unprotected jobs, which exposes them to a greater risk of insecurity, layoffs, and poor working conditions.
Due to persistent lack of safe and regular migration pathways, millions continue to take perilous journeys each year. Since 2014 more than 50,000 migrants have lost their lives on migratory routes across the world.
Despite this, migrants have proven to be a source of prosperity, innovation, and sustainable development to countries of origin, transit, and host countries. Many of those seeking to migrate to the UK want to work and contribute, if allowed. However, continuing changes to UK laws have made it increasingly difficult for those without guaranteed incomes of potentially £40 000 to move here by safe means and work.
International Migrants Day
Every year on 18 December, the world marks International Migrants Day, a day set aside to recognize the important contribution of migrants while highlighting the challenges they face.
Mel Kakkar from No To Hassockfield said;
“We’ll be marking International Migrants Day at our demo on Saturday 16 December. Our government wants people to believe that migration is something sinister and wrong, but much of global history is based around the migration of people. Many of us have our own stories linked to migration – where either we ourselves or our family members have moved to or from the UK.
“Places like Derwentside, that imprison people for trying to migrate or seek sanctuary are cruel and unnecessary. Immigration detention often doesn’t prevent people from achieving settled status here in the UK, and only causes people harm.
“We’ll be standing outside Derwentside to honour and celebrate migration, and to protest against the appalling lack of human rights that migrants are currently experiencing in this country, including those imprisoned in Derwentside”
