Front page article of the Solihull Times about the joint Noborders, ARC monthly protest at Sandfield House:

 http://80.194.82.59/observerstandard/obsstandard/2006/week%2022/stratford%20series/slts001c010606v1-web.pdf

Angry protesters at asylum case HQ

Jo Sykes and
Kenton Whitehall

PROTESTERS waving placards vented their anger at
the region’s alleged inhuman treatment of asylum seekers when they
descended on the West Midlands Headquarters for Immigration in Solihull on
Friday (May 26).

Members of human rights groups Birmingham NoBorders
and the Anti Racist Campaign (ARC) targeted the Sandford
House building on Homer Road to highlight what they say is
the barbaric treatment of people seeking asylum in Solihull
and Birmingham - including dawn raids and alleged strip
searches of families and youngchildren.

Dave Rogers, a campaigner on behalf of ARC, told the paper
enforcement squads operating from the Homer Road head-
quarters were forcibly snatching people from their homes in
dawn raids every week.
According to Mr Rogers, those people captured by the
squads are brought back to Sandford House, before being
sent to one of ten government detention centres around the
UK to await deportation.

“We’re working with a family right now who were snatched
from their home, brought here, and sent to Yarls Wood deten-
tion centre. The couple were separated from their six-year-
old son who was then strip searched.
He added: “This isn’t humane, this is barbarism.
These people were Iran freedom fighters, they’re not crim-
inals or second class citizens.

‘How can you call a human being an illegal? It’s unbeliev-
able.”

Protester Nellie De Jongh, 39, a Zimbabwean who fled
Robert Mugabe’s political dictatorship, said she was still
waiting to hear whether or not she would be able to stay in
the UK with her two daughters.

“The immigration system is so humiliating. Even while we
wait to hear the court’s decision, officials visit my house
four times a week and have the right to search everything
inside it.

“My involvement in an opposition party to Robert Mugabe
means I cannot return home,” she added.

A Home Office spokes person confirmed Sandford
House was the headquarters for the region’s Enforcement of
Removals Directorate but denied the possibility of inhumane treat-
ment.

“The Government has always made it clear that those people
who are here illegally have not got the right to stay and will be
removed.

“The officers who operate from Sandford House are trained
in procedures to minimise stress during removal and we always
try and keep families together where possible,” he added.



Dave Rogers campaigning on behalf of the Anti-Racist
Campaign outside Sandford House alongside asylum
seekers afraid to make their identity known. 22.06.709.dj

How to define refugees/asylum seekers- What is 'No-Borders' suggesting, that anyone who comes and suggests problems should be allowed to stay.
I know from my time teaching in FE colleges that for the most part the refugees/asylum seekers are bogus- attracted by the chance of social housing if accompanied by children and the prospect of a better life- but this is something different- economic not political.

I had one student - from Colombia who had a child by a local rich kid and then received a one way ticket for her and the child to the UK as way of child support from him- the idea being that the UK tax payer fulfils the role of father for the next 16 years!

She returned to Colombia after 2 years, appeals etc.- the bottom line is that she was never an asylum seeker or refugee of any kind.

Please don't talk common sense on Indymedia, people here don't take too kindly to it. They believe in a complete open borders policy, allowing anyone and everyone into the country. Doesn't matter if they're trying to claim off the state, or worse still, if they're dangerous terrorists. They'll support letting these people in regardless of all circumstances. Debating with them is pointless.

Again we see this issue brought back to economics.

To think that many of the people in question leave so many of their loved ones, friends behind, and endure risks to their personal safety to flee political and economic oppression, travel thousands of miles to reach a country that is supposed to value freedom and democracy.

As soon as they get here they are demonised and presented as a bunch of freeloaders who all receive 500 pounds a week, live in opulent housing and drive around in flash cars, all while raping and robbing the good British public.

In reality they receive only £36.00 pounds a week and are prevented from working, so forced to work and be exploited as a social underclass.

When British corporations decide to shut up shop and relocate overseas where labor is cheap and corporate social responsibilities non existent this is reported as good for " British Interests" and the " Free Market " lauded.

So we see that the Borders for the " unpeople " must be high and defended from the " Asylum Seeker" hoards and the Borders of Global Capitalist exploitation smased in all directions, regardless of the Human costs.