Welcome to the conference. We hope that this will be a unique opportunity for trades unions, migrant and other community organisations to come together to share experiences and build effective means of fighting back against the attacks from immigration controls which threaten not only migrants, asylum seekers and refugees but all workers and communities. Because immigration controls come in a variety of different guises and impact on nearly every side of life there is a lot to come to grips with and so a great deal to talk about in a one day conference. You will see that this is reflected in the number of workshops that we have today.

The programme of the day is as follows:


11am – 12.15pm: First plenary

The conference will be opened and chaired by Glenroy Watson from the Finsbury Park Branch of the RMT who called this conference.

Plenary speakers:-

- John McDonnell MP
- Alphonsus Okafor-Mefor - successfully fought deportation with union support
- Robinson Baldeon – SOAS Unison and Ecuadorian Movement in UK
- All African Women's Group.

Followed by contributions from the floor.


12.30 – 1.30pm: First Workshop Session

Resisting immigration controls in the workplace (raids, paper checks, new legislation etc)
Speakers include Jabez Lam from Chinese Immigration Community Concern, Julio Mayor (Latin American Workers Association)

Access to public services Amancay Colque (UCU, Bolivian Solidarity Campaign), Greg Ryan (UNISON, London No Borders)

Resisting deportations Flores Sukula and Beatrice Ketcha Guessie, campaigning against deportation. Margaret McAdam (Asylum Link, Liverpool)

Domestic and care work Margaret Healy (Kalayaan), Gabriella Luce.


1.30 – 2.30pm: Lunch

Provided by Food not Bombs. Free but donations always appreciated.


Second Workshop Session: 2.30 - 3.30pm

Resisting low pay and poor conditions Anita Ceravolo (T&G-UNITE, Justice for Cleaners)

Regularization/ amnesty campaigns David Landau (No One is Illegal)

Sex workers Speaker from English Collective of Prostitutes.

The transport industry & immigration control Gerry Downing (T&G-UNITE bus workers)


Final Plenary: 3.30 –5.00pm

Report backs from workshops. What happens next? We hope that out of this session there will be practical outcomes – demands to be taken up in our unions and other organisations, organisations and networks in our communities and workplaces which can act against the attacks.

Build the Resistance!

We hope at the end that people will not just be leaving after an interesting day but that you will be part of something in your union or your community that will be resisting immigration controls.