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Immigrant abuse claims examined (BBC)

repost | 02.03.2005 13:38 | Anti-racism | Migration | Cambridge

The Home Office has asked to see BBC undercover evidence of alleged racism and violence by security staff at an asylum seeker detention centre.


The evidence was gathered against Global Solutions Ltd staff at Oakington Immigration Reception Centre, near Cambridge, by BBC One's Real Story.

Fifteen employees have been suspended from frontline duties, says GSL.

The Lib Dems urged a review into how such firms were vetted and monitored and the Tories called for an inquiry.

The BBC heard evidence of detainees being physically and racially abused while officers made sure violence was not captured on CCTV.

More:
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/real_story/4310361.stm

repost

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

no surprise

02.03.2005 16:38

I am not surprise, the same shit happens in UK prisons everyday

ur


no doubt

02.03.2005 22:06

No doubt abuse occurs in every prison but I think there are even worst aspects in the case of immigration detention. People who are escaping war, torture and persecution are, needless to say, gravely traumatised and certainly do not need to be locked up without time limits and without a reason. They cannot understand why they are been locked up. Many are driven to despair , suicide, self-harm, many develop psychiatric problems. People who resist being deported to the same countries they fled in fear of their lives are beaten up savagely, somtimes to the point of reqiring hospitalzation - although I think after the murder of Joy Gardner immigration and police have been quite careful not to kill anybody in this country . Thay may die anyway after they get deported, at the hands of their persecutors. As long they die out of sight, nobody cares.

no borders no prisons


Fiona Bruce is this country's greatest journalist

04.03.2005 08:22

The violence in Oakington is unacceptable, but there is no need to paint the people detained there as genuine refugees fleeing persecution. Its largely for applicants from NSA countries. Is there a humanitarian crisis in Romania? The documenatary was appalling piece of journalism, it could have been an informed debate on the rights and wrongs on the detention of asylum seekers. Instead it was a sensationalist piece exposing the brutality of one incompetent firm in one detention centre. Pathetic

Fiona Bruce


hats off!

04.03.2005 21:50

well done to Anoop & Monica for having the balls to speak out.

bbc said they were having trouble finding people willing to speak out in public about their experiences inside these prisons - most either deported or afraid.

any psychologist will describe how vindictive people become when they imprison people, if you add to this the "for profit" nature of prison providers in the private sector, any idiot should know that the instances of abuse will be much greater.

also, these men, women and children are not in prison for committing a crime but simply for not being welcome here, often according to some arbitrary Home Office decision or administrative 'cock-up' or subversion of rules and procedures to get HO quota's up. Yet they are locked up and treated like criminals ?!

you've got some very vulnerable, everyday folk banged up, and in the ‘care’ of a company that probably pays peanuts and invariably ends up with a few monkeys working for them (I’ve met some). In a country where the media and politicians have repeatedly vilified immigrants and asylum seekers in the most blatantly Hitler-esque fashion.

I imagine a few corporate apologies, promises, and a few sackings will follow, but bugger all else.

The Home Office and Government can’t shirk responsibility for this treatment just ‘cos they tendered out operations to Group4/Wackenhut/Global Solutions. The Govt have constantly set the tone and failed to contradict the more extreme “bleedin’ heart bigot” media line of “we’re being flooded by scroungers & criminals from abroad!!!”

The bbc’s three month investigation won’t have uncovered a fraction of what goes on, they didn’t just ‘get lucky’ and it makes you sick to imagine how much more has gone on and will continue to.

But then ‘Hitler-esque’ shouldn’t worry Tony et al, wars of aggression, curbing or removing civil liberties, etc. seem to be ok.


rhedize
mail e-mail: joshstyx@yahoo.com


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