Quote from Yarls wood women hungerstriker

Custody staff have tried to move hungerstrikers into solitary confinement and many woman speak of the ongoing harassment: "When any of us go to the doctor or nurse we get sent away with pain killers no matter what we complain of. Blood tests and other vital information forwarded to the NHS go missing, One woman is suspected of suffering from TB. No progress has been made in her diagnosis or treatment. Even when someone tries to commit suicide, they get no psychiatric assessment. Racist abuse from staff is a daily occurrence. We are called 'black monkeys' who 'don't deserve to be here' and 'don't belong here'. We don't get enough food and what we get is tasteless, often burnt, undercooked or a day old. One woman reported she saw officers strangling a young man they had already stripped naked."

Report from Chiara:

Manuel Bravo from Angola, detained in Yarl's Wood with his 13 years old son, committed suicide last night by hanging himself. A vigil has been called by Sady Campaign this Saturday, 16h September at noon in front of Yarl's Wood, to remember Manuel and in solidarity with the women hungerstrikers.

ANOTHER DEATH IN DETENTION

Manuel Bravo was in is thirties. According to his church group who supported him he was terrified to be returned to Angola. He was due to be deprted Friday. He leaves a thirteen years old son who is being 'cared for' by the staff at the detention centre.

The people detained with him got very upset. Most of them are women, many with children. Everybody was crying. I phoned them at the detention centre and I could hear it; a woman was so upset she could not even talk, just kept sobbing. They feel it is a tragedy for all of them. Most women refused to eat and held prayer vigils instead.

Some women detainees, mostly frm Uganda, have been on hungerstrike for a long time, some as long as 40 days. Three required hospitalisation as a result. Some of the women are starting eating again. They are all unhappy with the conditions at Yarl's Wood and all have serious concerns if they are deported back to Uganda. Some of them have been imprisoned, all have been gang raped and tortured, and are likely to be returned in the hands of the same authorities they fled from. They are terrified to be returned to Uganda. Some are HIV+ as a result of rape, and in Uganda won't be able to buy the drugs that can keep them alive and are very expensive there.
PLEASE SUPPORT THE VIGIL OUTSIDE YARL'S WOOD, 12 NOON. For transport meet outside Bedford train station, 11.30am

Self-harming in detention centers

People who are locked up in detention centers often turn to self-harming. Australian academic and writer Denise Leith has published details about self-harming in Australian detention centers. See reports in the independent and on imc uk.