Brutality towards asylum seekers
Cambridge IMC | 20.12.2004 21:03 | Migration | Repression | Cambridge
At Oakington asylum seeker detention centre, near Cambridge, an Indian couple with a two year old child have been imprisoned for 54 days, and have been refused bail. The child has been ill, but because he is in detention has not been allowed to see a paediatrician. The family have been told that deportation is imminent. By the time they leave, they may have been imprisoned for 77 days. See [full report] [press release] [local press].
A recent Cambridge feature described how Lina Castanos, and her 8 year old son, Miguel were violently taken from their home at night, to be held first at Gatwick, and then at Oakington. While at Oakington, Miguel was refused a doctor for at least 24 hours when he became ill (Read more on Lina and Miguel's stay in prison).
The Castanos family face fear and uncertainty, as to whether they will be deported to Columbia. While at Oakington, they thought deportation would occur soon, however they have now been told they can appeal. Despite the fact that several close family members have been killed by Columbian paramilitary authorities, they are left uncertain as to whether they can remain in the UK.
Private Prison Contractor
In Sheffield there has been a campaign to keep Iraqi asylum seeker Naseh Ghafor in the UK: if he returns to Iraq it is likely that he will be killed.
Cambridge IMC
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Corporate media coverage...
23.12.2004 09:59
Poon
Homepage:
http://cambridge-news.co.uk/news/story.asp?StoryID=66818
Child torture in OZ too
23.12.2004 14:41
At 7 o’clock last Saturday morning uniformed men and women representing the Federal Government burst into our house at Dulwich and arrested six children and their mother.
It is clear that while the planning for this operation had included a social visit the day before to "case the joint" and determine who slept where, no thought was given to the re-traumatisation of these children by the surprise attack.
While predictable that the children would experience panic at being woken in their beds by strangers, those intruding also had a moment of panic when one of the boys was not in his bed.
Relief for the guards when he was found asleep on the couch in the lounge room. No single moment of relief for those taken captive.
No time to dress properly, no time to pack, no food, no access to toilet, and no explanation.
Sixteen months of integration into schools, social networks, and building trust, destroyed in three frantic minutes.
No nappy change for a baby boy snatched from his cot by a stranger, to cry all the way to Port Augusta. No bottle for him either.
No time to change the clothes of the youngest girl who wet her pants as a fear reaction to being awoken by strangers. Simply forced to sit in the wet until arrival at the Baxter Detention environment.
A very different day to the expectation of her St Aloysius teacher taking her to a birthday party.
No time for the oldest girl to place her scarf where it needs to be, as she was lead, arms gripped, to one of three waiting motor vehicles.
No time for any of those arrested to understand why this was happening, in the place of their planned day at the beach.
Phones confiscated, personal items of importance broken, and again those who had sought to deceitfully build trust, exposed as agents of a well planned operation.
When the Federal Government authorized the early morning capture of a family they angrily describe, the "worst of the worst", they brought to our suburbs what Centacare has been speaking out against for more than four years.
Children in our Detention system are routinely terrorized. We now know that it happens with planning.
This has long been denied by our Federal Government despite numerous reports and evidence of the impact and the hard work of many people who are experts in working with traumatized children.
The arrogance to do what we know has been happening behind razor wire, in a church owned house in an Adelaide suburb should frighten every Australian, regardless of their position on people who have come to Australia by boat seeking asylum.
I sat with the Bakhtiyari children and their mother last Friday evening unaware that just eight hours later they would be gone from the house they had made their home.
It was not until Tuesday when I was able to visit the family inside the Baxter Detention Centre that the detail of their allegations and its impact of the Saturday morning action could be discussed and comprehended. I would welcome any approach by the others involved that might dispute their account of events.
The signs of trauma for these children have returned. On high alert, but withdrawn. High anxiety drives the need for continual reassurance. The little ones are clinging again. Trust gone.
Again the heart of our international reputation on human rights has been ripped out, like the sleeping children from their beds.
Marilyn Shepherd
e-mail:
mshep@chariot.net.au
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