is there any chance that indymedia can get someone to do a 'front page' report from bedfordshire ? this is a major event, and we shouldnt let the bbc and guardian have a monopoly of the coverage.
this event could go two ways : either a liberalization of the asylum regime, or a reactionary clampdown on refugees.

Campaigners have called for a vigil/protest this evening in the wake of the Yarl's Wood fire. Demonstrators will be assembling outside the gates at Yarls Wood from 6.30 pm.

Asylum seekers lives in danger from inadequate fire protection

Some asylum seekers are still being detained in one building at Yarls Wood, untouched by the fire. This building has inadequate fire protection as there are no sprinklers installed
It has now emerged that the Home Office, deliberately refused to install a *sprinkler system in the buildings which housed still houses the asylum seekers.


Vigil Friday 15 Feb: 6:30pm
Yarl's Wood Detention Centre
Twinwoods Road
Clapham
Bedford
MK41 6HL


How to get there: From Bedford take A6 north towards Kettering, pass through Clapham village, at the roundabout turn right - Yarl's would is one and a half miles up the hill at the top.

Home Office officials deliberately ignored advice from Bedfordshire Fire Service that sprinklers should be fitted at Yarls Wood Detention Centre. Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service Acting Deputy Chief Fire Officer Clive Walsh said the Yarl's Wood centre had no sprinklers. "We were asked for our opinion at the end of 2000, early 2001, and it was our advice to have sprinklers in a building of this type.

Damage so far has been estimated at 35 million pounds

==========================================
Joint statement by Campaign Against Arbitrary Detention at Yarls Wood and the Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers

Yarl’s Wood Blaze Highlights Inhumanity of Detention Regime

Emma Ginn, a local Bedford resident and founder of the Campaign Against Arbitary Detention at Yarls Wood has responded to the fire, which has caused an estimated £35 million in damage to the Yarl’s Wood detention centre. "Whatever the exact details of last night’s events, the fire and the official response to it have realised the worst fears of those of us who have campaigned against the Yarl's Wood complex."

In a joint statement with the national Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers (CDAS), Emma Ginn added that "There was a tragic inevitability to the fire, but above all the Yarl's Wood events spell out how fundamentally wrong the whole policy of arbitrary detention has been." The secretary of CDAS, George Binette, said "This massive blaze comes at a time when the Home Secretary is seeking to push through Parliament a major extension of the detention regime. This will more than double the number of asylum applicants held in facilities like Yarl's Wood to some 4,000."

George Binette added that "a growing section of the refugee population has been 'criminalised'. The vast majority of detainees have never been charged with, much less convicted of any crime, and yet they can now be held indefinitely. There have been numerous cases of people being held for more than nine months.'

Campaigners have been fighting for nearly a decade against the use of arbitrary detention, whether in prisons or purpose-built centres, of people whose only 'crime' has been to seek refugee status in the UK. Goerge Binette said that, 'The multinational security firm, Group 4, has operated the Yarl's Wood facility under contract to the Home Office, despite its record at the Campsfield centre near Oxford. In 1997 an attempt to maliciously prosecute detainees on a riot charge spectacularly collapsed and it was found that Group 4 employees had actually caused the material damage. Ironically, the Home Secretary had indicated on 7 February that the Campsfield facility would soon close.

Emma Ginn said, "The aftermath of last nights fire has really brought home the contempt with which these people [the detainees] have been treated. The authorities have been far more concerned with how many asylum seekers might have 'escaped', rather than with the possibility of fatalities or serious injuries among the detainees. There was no helpline set up for the families and friends of detainees. Partially clothed women and children, including a two month old baby, were left to stand outside in sub zero temperatures. We already knew that some of these detainees were in need of medical treatment.

We now know from the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service that, despite its recommendations, there were no sprinklers in a complex with 900 plus beds, despite the fact that it supposedly cost £100 million.

The Campaign Against Arbitrary Detention at Yarls Wood and CDAS are calling for a full public enquiry into the events at Yarl’s Wood, but in the meantime will be redoubling their efforts to highlight the plight of asylum detainees and push for an end to the detention regime in general.

-Ends-

General inquiries
Viv Smith 07905 589865

Campaign Against Arbitrary Detention
Emma Ginn 0778 6517379

Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers

Heather, can you please post a report about the vigil on fri evening at Yarlswood?
then we can link it to the feature on the imc uk middle column.
Also everybody else who has more details about the whole situation - where the detained immigrants come from, stuff about their situations, whatever you find interesting.


thanks,
ionnek
(1 of imc uk)

You just know this was started by the authorities and/or their agents to justify future draconian measures against refugees, asylum seekers and detainees

The theory of a conspiracy is incredible,if not a group of desperately angry detainees, who else could have set fire to the prison?
I admit though, that the only ones that can benefit by such event are the political right and the bigots that want more rigid laws to effectively seal off this country to the masses that try to enter it.
I am very concerned about the people.
I am not the least about the damage caused by the fire.
It is ironic how vulnerable to human rage these hi-tec brick and barbed wire monsters can be.
A lesson to be learned?
My total support and sympathy to the people inside...and to those few who have managed to get away from the beast.

The theory of a conspiracy is incredible,if not a group of desperately angry detainees, who else could have set fire to the prison?
I admit though, that the only ones that can benefit by such event are the political right and the bigots that want more rigid laws to effectively seal off this country to the masses that try to enter it.
I am very concerned about the people.
I am not the least about the damage caused by the fire.
It is ironic how vulnerable to human rage these hi-tec brick and barbed wire monsters can be.
A lesson to be learned?
My total support and sympathy to the people inside...and to those few who have managed to get away from the beast.

The theory of a conspiracy is incredible,if not a group of desperately angry detainees, who else could have set fire to the prison?
I admit though, that the only ones that can benefit by such event are the political right and the bigots that want more rigid laws to effectively seal off this country to the masses that try to enter it.
I am very concerned about the people.
I am not the least about the damage caused by the fire.
It is ironic how vulnerable to human rage these hi-tec brick and barbed wire monsters can be.
A lesson to be learned?
My total support and sympathy to the people inside...and to those few who have managed to get away from the beast.

With reference to you report on Yarlswood I.D.C and the comments made by Emma Gin.
Firstly the riot at Yarl`s wood was pre planned by the detainies and the threatening of staff & taking of hostages gave the detainees access to keys, which in turn gave them acces to the reception area and the lighters that were kept there, these were then used to set fires starting with reception.
If this riot was not pre planned why did all these detainees have there bags packed?
Also how Did Emma Gin manage to find out about the riot so quickly and get her face across our T.V screens?
Maybee people should spare a thought for the officers on duty that night,when these asylum seekers rampaged through the centre smashing the place up, using chair legs for weapons and terrorising children and officers, one officer had to jump out of a upstairs window to save his own life as twenty detainees wanted to kill him and had him trapped.
Another question i would like to pose is if Emma Gin is totally against detention of all these asylum seekers! why does she only visit and offer bail address to BLACK detainees.
The officers at Yarl`s wood do not indulge in mental torture nor do they dish out beatings but we do have to put up with verbal abuse, threats to our lives and families, verbal and physical assualt on a daily basis. Yet due to the human rights act we are powerless to defend ourselves.
maybee these wooley hat brigades should wake up and smell the coffee and realise that not only does Yarl`s wood house failed asylum seekers but convicted murderers, arsonist, drug runners, peadophiles and more.
they all cry let them out into the community but i ask you to think long and hard do YOU want these crimminals living in YOUR street?

and your point is....?
Im not too clear on what you are trying to say, who are criminals.....and who are you so afraid will comr and live down your street?

Check out the LabourNet UK website for more up to date inormation on this fiasco.

Only just got to read "Annoymous'"S piece cos the site's been down. But what a load of shite- although fascinating if this really is a Yarlswood worker.

Let's not forget that the place is/was run by the very same Group 4- whose staff cooked up a bunch of lies (proven!) about a riot in Concentration Campsfield a couple of years ago.

Let's also focus on the naked racism in thes comments- what's this shit about Emma Gin only caring about black detainees.

And what's the shit about "convicted muderers" etc etc. NOBODY in Yarl's Wood has been convicted of ANYTHING- hence our beloved Government's insistence that it ain't a prison; and only are percentage of them have even got so far as being "failed" asylum seekers, such is the inefficiency of the asylum system.

Let's also not lose sight of the fact that there are people still missing; and all anyone's concerned about is making sure they've not done a runner; they might have been caught in the fire? Who cares?

And who cares if the whole thing could have been prevented by a simple sprinkler system? Who's going to complain about basic health and safty standards for "failed asylum seekers".

Fuck Blair, fuck Blunkett and fuck Group 4 and all the other gredy, murdering privatising scum.

well all i can say is how blind you all are and in the end the truth will out and who knows you may be surprised at the results.
yet again as in the media, no one gave a shit about the people who tried to look after these "innocent" detainees.
are yes one more thing learn how to spell.

"are yes one more thing learn how to spell".

Darling, my spelling- if you really care about such things- isn't normally a problem. I may have misspelt a couple of words as I was angry when typing. It's called passion; it's good. And your excuse for your grammar and punctuation is...?

"No one gives a shit about the people who tried to look after these 'innocent' detainees." Well...given the fact that I consider it obscene that people are locked up in a building with no sprinkler system, I don't think it's TOO great a leap of the imagination to think that I might also have a problem with people WORKING in those conditions.

But there is a difference. As far as I know, 25 people- "detainees"- are still missing. No one's done a search of the charred remains yet, so no one knows if there are any burnt corpses there. And it doesn't seem to be a priority to find out. Are any of the staff missing? Or did they manage to get themselves out?

Don't get me wrong; I wouldn't wish a grim and violent death on ANYONE in that building, detainee or Group 4 employee; but after a shift in Yarl's Wood, the workers can go home/to the pub/whatever. The "detainees" are there 24/7 with nothing to look forward to other than deportation to the shit they thought they'd escaped.

So, in a nutshell, my advice to "someone" working at these hellholes is try to actually DO SOMETHING to improve the conditions you're working in, and target your anger at the people who DESERVE IT, rather than the poor bastards you're supposedly "looking after" (now THERE'S a euphemism to play with!)

I have been reading the conflicting reports about Yarl`s wood and the comments that have been flying back and fourth.
i have also kept up to speed with the media reports on this event.
i ask the question regards to these detainees that are so hard done by in detention centres with sky t.v, free education, free computers to use, free health care etc, how can you be so sure that none of these are criminals?
do we know there history from there countries of origin?
is Jamaica such a bad country or Poland etc etc.

I understand that the detainees took hostages to get officers keys! is that not a crimminal act in itself?
as for the detainees that rioted at Campsfield, did they not set fire to that detention centre recently?
i also see from the Daily Mail 19/02/2002 that the detainees at Harmondsworth planned to set fire to this D.C.
i understand that there are genuine asylum seekers but also there are drug smugglers etc detained awaiting deportation.

Maybe some of you people should maybe don a uniform and spend some time with these Innocent detainees and get a more informed view of both sides of the fence.

as for the comment about Emma ginn & black detainees i think the point being made was there are detainees from many countries but she does not seem to bother with the eastern europeans.
Yes i am well informed about these things and i do see the grander picture and i do fear for this country and what is going to happen next, take the blinkers off and have a good look around and maybe you may notice the homeless who no one cares about and the high unemployment do i need to go on.
i know i will probably be called racist etc etc and i will get damming replies, but this is my country and i will say what i feel

FYI, I do work with asylum seekers, so do have SOME idea what I'm talking about. Interestingly enough, I don't wear a uniform to do so. Make of that what you will.

As for your assertion that you're "well informed about these things"- you cite the Daily Mail as your source!! To which the only sane response can possibly be- fuck RIGHT off.

FYI, I do work with asylum seekers, so do have SOME idea what I'm talking about. Interestingly enough, I don't wear a uniform to do so. Make of that what you will.

As for your assertion that you're "well informed about these things"- you cite the Daily Mail as your source!! To which the only sane response can possibly be- fuck RIGHT off.

thanks for your rude remark to me, just as i expected from narrow minded arseholes as your self

why bother when you cant see further than yoyr own noses????

Don't believe I've ever been called "narrow-minded" by a Daily Mail reader before; don't believe anyone ever has. Now, really- stop wasting your time here, get yer uniform back on and go and bully a few more of those pampered, Sky-watching spongers you know so much about. Twat!

You seeme to asume a lot, i read many papers as i am sure many people do, i do wear a uniform but not a group 4 one!
strange that your reply to me was abusive but i expected that and i note you did not or will not respond to my points that i put to you.
i must admit i lost my temper and used abusive language but you seem to defend yourself with insults!
if you read my comments you would see and i quote " there are genuine asylum seekers" and i have experienced these poor countries first and and aided them so don`t insult me please.
as i said i am probably wasting my time talking to you as i see you are not willing to give me any reply but abuse,
so pray do tell me what type of work do you do for detainees?
oh! yes i am not one person many names and to asume is to make an ass of you and me and just because i read one of many news papers please dont pigeon hole me.

So you read a lot of different journals. But you QUOTE the Daily Mail- renowned for extreme right wing views, bigotry and lies since the Zinoviev letter. So your source is treated with contempt.

But you want your points addressed: OK. You mention the "fact" that detainees have Sky TV. If that's true, ask yourself a question; how would YOU like to be locked up all day every day, watching TV bombarding you every 10 minutes with adverts promoting consumables you couldn't afford- even if you were allowed to nip to the shops. Happy?

And you ask how I "know" none of the detainees are drug runners. I don't. But they haven't been CONVICTED of anything- and one of the few remaining democratic principles we have in this country is the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. These people are locked up because they're "foreign".

By your logic you COULD be a murderer- I don't know any different, after all, so you deserve locking up.

There. And I haven't sworn ONCE!

Julie sweetheart, I think you need to wake up to the fact that most of the population in the UK couldnt give a rats arse about asylum seekers as they are too busy paying taxes that fund lunatic ideals such as yours. Personally I'd prefer to follow examples like Canada who let negligible amounts in each year.

If it wasn't for left wing crusades such as yours, admitting 3rd world dregs (lets face it, good, educated, civilised citizens dont claim asylum) pseudo journalists like you would be on the dole queues where you belong and anti-British organisations such as The National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns wouldnt exist.

With respect, your views are nothing short of treasonable, to the vast majority of the suffering UK population.

J Cochrane