IMC UK - Migration - Nottinghamshire

Nottingham Uni Detainee Innocent But Still Facing Deportation

23-05-2008 22:10 | Migration | Repression | Terror War | Nottinghamshire

Hicham Yezza, one of the two men who were arrested at Nottingham University under the Terrorism Act 2000 on Wednesday 14th May is facing imminent deportation. Both men were released without charge after having been detained for 7 days. But Hicham, a 30-year old member of university staff and non-British national was immediately re-arrested under immigration legislation.

This is clearly a politically motivated action to try and kill the story of the original arrests to cover up the initial embarrassment. This is an attempt to circumvent the criminal justice system and push him out of the country without the usual court process. He has now been moved to a detention centre and faces deportation on Sunday 1st June. Hicham is well-known, widely liked and active on campus. Students, lecturers and the wider community have started mobilising to stop his deportation. See report and pics of the demonstration for academic freedom and against Hicham Yezza's deportation that took place in Nottingham University on the 28th May.

Audio: as featured in #5 the June Show ~ Riseup! Radio

Newswire: Comment on University Communication on Recent Events | University of Nottingham Graduate and Employee Facing Imminent Deportation Without Hearing | Notts Uni detainee innocent but still facing deportation

Feature: Anger Over "Terror Arrests" at Nottingham University

Website: Stop the Deportation of Hicham Yezza

Nottingham Celebrates Mayday

05-05-2008 19:18 | Migration | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

Mayday has been celebrated in one form or another for thousands of years. Pagans marked the day as the end of the hardships of winter. Following the struggle amongst American workers for the eight hour day and the murder by the US state of four anarchists involved in that struggle in 1886, the day has come to be marked as International Workers' Day.

In Nottingham this year, there were two Mayday events, both organised by the Mayday Organising Committee, an off-shoot of the Nottingham Refugee Campaign Group. As has happened for the past few years, there was a march and rally, starting and ending at the Brewhouse Yard on the Saturday May 3. The second event was a public meeting held on May 1 itself, addressed by local asylum seeker Amdani Juma and former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg.

Newswire: Nottingham May Day 1 Pictures - Event | Nottingham May Day 2 Pictures - Parade | Mayday march and rally in Nottingham | Nottingham Celebrates Mayday with Moazzam Begg

Previous Features: Mayday! Mayday! Celebrations in Nottingham (2007) | Mayday in the East Midlands (2006)

Links: Nottingham Refugee Campaign Group | Wikipedia on Mayday

Nottingham's Zimbabwean Community Responds to Rigged Elections

04-04-2008 15:12 | Migration | Repression | Social Struggles | Nottinghamshire

On March 29 Zimbabwe went to the polls. The election was widely criticised with accusations of vote rigging, state orchestrated media bias and violent intimidation of opposition activists. The outcome was generally considered a foregone conclusion, which would have little to do with the opinions of most Zimbabweans and early indications are that these concerns were well placed, although events now seem to have taken a more complicated turn.

In Nottingham the Zimbabwean community used the election to draw attention to the situation in their country and camapaign against the threat of deportation which many Zimbabwean asylum seekers face. They organised a meeting at the Sumac Centre on March 28 and held at protest at Nottingham's new speakers corner on March 28.

Audio: Interviews at demonstration | NIMC interview with Zimbabwean Activist

Photo: Zimbabwean Asylum Rights Demo @ Speakers Corner, Nottingham | Nottingham Zimbabwe demo calling for release of election results

Newswire: No result in Zimbabwe elections | Nottingham’s Zimbabwean Community stand together | Zimbabwean Asylum Rights Demo @ Speakers Corner, Nottingham | Notts Indymedia Migration Topic Page

Previous Features: Refugees In Need Of Community Protection? | Situation in the Congo is worsening as deportations continue | Nottingham Protest against Deportations to Northern Iraq (Kurdistan) :: Pictures

Links: No Borders Nottingham | Nottingham and Notts Refugee Forum | Nottingham Refugee Campaign Group | The Zimbabwean | Zimbabwe Indymedia (archive)

Dignity Not Detention!

30-10-2007 11:08 | Anti-racism | Migration | Nottinghamshire

Asylum seekers, refugees, trade unionists and supporters from all over the North marched from the Home Office in Sheffield to Lindholme Detention centre near Doncaster between 26-28th October. The marchers were demanding "The right to work for asylum seekers" and stating that "Seeking asylum is not a crime." They finished at Lindholme immigration removals centre, the nearest such centre to Nottinghamshire, where asylum seekers are often held without having committed any criminal offence. The demonstration there on Sunday 28th was joined by supporters from Nottingham.

A rally was held at the fence of Lindholme and the marchers could hear detainees inside chanting in response to them. A candlelit vigil for those who'd died in detention centres was held and speakers from many countries, including the Congo, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Iran, Iraq and South Africa spoke. The demonstration is the latest in a series of protests at Lindholme making the demand to "Shut Down Lindholme!"

Links: "Dignity Not Detention" March on Lindholme | Photos from the start of the "Dignity Not Detention" march on Lindholme | The start of the "Dignity Not Detention" march on Lindholme (Pitsmoor) | Dignity Not Detention! march arrives at Lindholme | Dignity Not Detention! leaflet (pdf)

Previously at Lindholme: No Borders demonstration at Lindholme Immigration Removals Centre | Lindholme Noise Demo Photos | 10 Lindholme Detainees still free | Detainees held in 'filthy' conditions, Lindholme, nr Doncaster

In Notts: Nottingham demo called against deportation charter flight to DR Congo | Nottingham Congolese Community demonstrated against continued deportations | No Borders Nottingham 'National Day of Action on Asylum Rights' | Mayday in Nottingham (Round Two)

Refugees In Need Of Community Protection?

31-05-2007 10:44 | Migration | Nottinghamshire

No Borders Nottingham held up its end of a National Day of Action for Refugees with a stall in the Market Square accompanied by the No Borders banner, today sharing the Square with the Farmers’ Market and a City Council awareness day for Fostering of children. For No Borders, it was a good opportunity to have conversations with passersby about the dire situation facing asylum seekers living in Nottingham and Notts, many who have been made destitute because of Home Office decisions to withdraw housing and money for food, or that their countries are safe to return to in spite of their experiences of torture and severe repression, or other fears of returning such as deaths of members of their family and friends.

Leaflets were handed out answering questions people might have about asylum seekrs, and showing what groups like No Borders, Nottingham & Notts Refugee Forum (including Campaign and Food groups), Refugee Action and others are doing to improve this situation in spite of the difficulties. However, in what is no doubt becoming a tiresome story for some on Notts Indymedia, little more than 10 minutes after setting up stall we were approached to ‘move on’ by Community Protection Officers (numbered NW9963 and NW9944).

Upcoming: Nottingham Refugee Week 2007 - 16th–24th June

Links: No Borders Nottingham

Photo report: Nottingham demo against deportations to Congo |No Borders Nottingham 'National Day of Action on Asylum Rights'

On the newswire: Nottingham Refugee Week 2007 - 16th–24th June | National Weekend of Action For Refugees / 11 events - 19th May 2007 | Situation in the Congo is worsening as deportations continue | Demonstration against Congo deportations 12.04.07 | Our Square Isn't it? | Reclaim the Square! - Summer picnic

Situation in the Congo is worsening as deportations continue

30-03-2007 12:09 | Migration | Repression | Nottinghamshire

On Wednesday March 28th, people gathered on the Market Square to protest continued deportations to the Democratic Republic of Congo. After a while the protesters walked across town to Bridewell Police Station (next to the Magistrates Court) and made their feeling know about government policies. The Home Office plans to deport more Congolese people from the UK in spite of evidence that it is not only still unsafe for them to return but that the situation is worsening. In Leicester over 60 turned out in a demonstration. Other cities where protests happened simultaneously were London, Glasgow, Newcastle and Manchester.

In March a United Nations report described the situation there as ‘deteriorating’. The Bishop of Winchester objected recently in the Lords to government claims that the country was now safe, noting that every independent organisation with first-hand experience finds ministerial assurances of safety “simply incredible”. He said that the Country Guidance Case on March 28th, at which the situation could be re-evaluated by the government, “will hear fresh evidence of ill-treatment, torture and rape of returned refugees, both at the airport and at associated holding centres”. Asylum seekers in Nottingham need your help in putting pressure on the government to admit that its deportation policy is wrong.

Update: A second demonstration was held on Thursday 12th April. Read announcement and see report with photos.

From the newswire: Nottingham demo against deportations to Congo (photos) | Nottingham (and Leicester) demos against deportations to Congo (photos) | Stop Deportation to the Congo

UK Indymedia: Dozens Deported to DR Congo (feature article) | Migration topic page

Links: No Borders Nottingham | Notts Refugee Forum | National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns

Previous articles: Anti-Deportation Protest at Nottingham Magistrates Court | Nottingham Police Station :: Forced Deportations Continue | Occupation at Labour Party Offices for East Midlands

Nottingham and Slavery - A Hidden History

As Britain continues the 2007 celebration of 'Abolition 200', the legal end of Britain's official involvement in trans-Atlantic slave trading, and with most eyes on the main slave trade ports like Bristol and Liverpool, our local councils seem quite unconcerned about direct or indirect involvement with the profits of slavery in Notts and East Midlands, and seem happy just to leave local churches to do the soul searching. Let's ask some questions...

An easy example of Notts involvement in slavery is the well-known Mellish family, whose name is probably best associated in local minds with a Nottingham school. The family is known to have had involvement with ownership and official dealings with plantation estates in the West Indies in the 18th century. Even a cursory look at the Mellish family online archive record reveals inheritance of slave plantation estate property from the governor of the Bahamas (John Tinker), and we can read about William Mellish's official dealings with plantation monies in Jamaica as Receiver General for the Customs & Excise (he was also MP for Retford).

Photos: George Africanus: Re-dedication of former slave's grave

Links: The Mellish and Buchanan Families of Blyth and Hodsock - A Brief History | The Nottingham Sparrow, Nottingham AF | 'Slavery - the Hidden History', Bristol Radical History Group | Anti-slavery march demands reparations for slave trade

Father of released family still in detention and threatened with deportation

11-10-2006 12:58 | Migration | Nottinghamshire

Update: (14/10/06) Mr Al-Mugrabhi is still being detained at Dover Detention Centre, his family have been released from Yarls Wood Removal Centre, but it is feared he will still be deported very soon. A new petition has been started to stop his deportation and try to secure his release. Download, print and distribute!

The father of a family from Aspley, Nottingham is still being held in dentention in Dover and threatened with deportation after the rest of the family were released from Yarlswood Removal Centre near Bedford on Tuesday. Local activists jumped into action following a dawn raid by 12 officers last week to secure the release of the family. Officers forced entry into the property and arrested the family including 2 children and a baby. The raid happened at around 5.30am on Wednesday 4th October. Children as well as staff at Roslyn Park School in Aspley were shocked by the news. Two of the families children have been at the school for over 5 years.

Links: Nottingham Refugee Forum | Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees | Wikipedia on Jordan | Wikipedia on Refugees | UK Indymedia Migration topic page

Recent: Evening Post helps Immigration Service harass East Midlands asylum-seekers

Nottingham Asylum-Seekers will be Heard

19-09-2006 22:11 | Migration | Repression | Social Struggles | Nottinghamshire

The situation faced by Asylum-Seekers in the UK is enough to make you realise we live in an insane society. In the East Midlands a centralised HO reporting building has been set up in the small town of Loughbrough, twenty miles from the towns where most A-Ss actually live.

The new centre is like Fort Knox. Its barred windows and security checkpoints make it clear that if they don’t want you to get out, you won’t. Many from Nottingham have been told to attend Nottingham with no indication of whether they can claim the fare back. Little or no information has been given about how to get to Loughborough, when the switch would be made, and how to get more information about it. One of the first asylum seekers to be transferred to the new office was told to sign on the fifth of every month! What if it’s a weekend? Who would invent such a system except an idiot; or a sadist trying to prevent A-S having any identity except one of dependency on the system.

Protest in solidarity with refugees Sat 09.09.06 Nottingham

01-09-2006 16:28 | Anti-racism | Migration | Nottinghamshire

Nottingham Refugee Campaign Group have organised a protest in solidarity with refugees on Saturday 09th September from 1pm - 2pm at St Peters Gate Nottingham. How would YOU get from here to Loughborough with no money? That is what many asylum seekers are now being forced to do!

From the 4th September, Asylum seekers who receive NO MONEY and are NOT ALLOWED TO WORK are being required to report to a new Immigration Reporting Centre in Loughborough (instead of reporting here at the central police station).

Come and join the protest and show your solidarity

Links: Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum website

Events

Startpage

Alerts

Radio

Support Us

Local Events

Freedom of Information

Search archives

Topics

Kollektives

IMCs

Publish

Click here to publish your news

Nottinghamshire Migration Newswire

Nottinghamshire Migration

Nottingham Uni Detainee Innocent But Still Facing Deportation

Nottingham Celebrates Mayday

Nottingham's Zimbabwean Community Responds to Rigged Elections

Dignity Not Detention!

Refugees In Need Of Community Protection?

Situation in the Congo is worsening as deportations continue

Nottingham and Slavery - A Hidden History

Father of released family still in detention and threatened with deportation

Nottingham Asylum-Seekers will be Heard

Protest in solidarity with refugees Sat 09.09.06 Nottingham