UK 
Campaigners
to put UK Border Agency before "court of public opinion"
26.02.2013
Migrants' rights campaigners are
planning to put the UK Border Agency (UKBA) before the "court
of public opinion", with the agency accused of "racism,
sexism, homophobia" the "degradation of thousands of
asylum seekers, including victims of torture, rape and abuse"
and, in reference to the revocation by the UKBA of London Metropolitan
University's visa licence last year, for "attacks on education
for international students."
At an event in London
on Sunday 3 March, a mock court hearing will hear "testimony
and evidence from asylum seekers who have directly experienced
the regime of immigration detention, fast-track [asylum applications],
the brutal side of deportation attempts, and the aftermath of
the UK system." [1]
The UKBA was established
in 2008 following a merger of three other government agencies
and has been the subject of fierce criticism since its inception.
A 2009 report highlighted concerns related to powers of detention;
[2] in 2010 the Parliamentary Ombudsman examined the agency's
handling of applications and complaints; [3] and last year a
widely-covered report by Medical Justice examined the immigration
detention of torture survivors. [4]
A recent wave of negative
news has seen the agency accused of failing to halt the practice
of taking "reserves" to airports in case spare room
becomes available on deportation flights, [5] as well as claims
that "the health of hundreds of pregnant women and their
babies are being put at risk" due to the policy of "dispersing"
asylum seekers to accommodation across the country. [6]
A contract between UKBA
and multinational security firm G4S, which gave the company responsibility
for asylum seekers' housing, has also recently been criticised
as a "disaster." Two groups behind a report on the
issue have called for "an inquiry into G4S' contracts for
housing, transport and initial accommodation in what it calls
the 'asylum markets'." [7]
Detention conditions also
saw a series of protests erupt late last year in the Yarl's Wood
detention centre. Many of those perceived to be organisers of
the protests were subsequently removed from the detention centre
and placed in prisons across the country, a move accompanied
by complaints of abuse. Subsequent deportation attempts were
viewed as "political reprisals" by supporters. [8]
The protesting Yarl's
Wood detainees were supported by campaign group Movement for
Justice, who have also organised the event in London. The use
of a "mock trial" format bears similarities to other
events held by migrants' rights groups.
Last year the International
Migrants' Tribunal highlighted the effects of the policies enacted
by states through the Global Forum on Migration and Development
(GFMD).
The tribunal found that
the GFMD was guilty of "pursuing or promoting measures violating
the rights of migrants"; "remaining practically or
absolutely silent to stop or stem such violations and thereby
perpetuating them"; and "systematically and habitually
failing to act to alleviate the plight of migrants." [9]
Similarly, in May last
year Tribunal 12 examined accusations of "continual violations
of human rights and the systematic mistreatment of refugees,
migrants and asylum seekers" by European authorities. [10]
Sources
[1] Movement for
Justice, The
UKBA on TRIAL
[2] Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, Our
Hidden Borders - The UK Border Agency's Powers of Detention,
April 2009
[3] Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Ombudsman
publishes report on UK Border Agency, 9 February 2010
[4] Natahsa Tsangarides, "The
Second Torture": The immigration detention of torture survivors,
Mediacl Justice, 2012
[5] UKBA
letter to potential deportees institutionalises controversial
'reserves' policy, Corporate Watch, 17 February
2013
[6] Alan Travis, UKBA's
dispersal policy 'puts pregnant asylum seekers at risk' says
report, The Guardian, 25 February 2013
[7] Wide
support for Inquiry into G4S Asylum Contracts, SYMAAG,
22 February 2013
[8] See coverage from Statewatch News Online: Expulsion
of two leading participants in Yarl's Wood protest is "political
reprisal," say campaigners; Campaigners
demand freedom for immigration detainees transferred to prison
after protests; Organised
dissent at Yarl's Wood detention centre met with harsh treatment
[9] Final
verdict of the International Migrants' Tribunal, Asia
Pacific Mission for Migrants, 4 December 2012
[10] Report
from Tribunal 12, Tribunal 12, May 2012; Jennifer
Allsopp, Tribunal
12: migrants' rights abuses in Europe, OpenDemocracy,
15 May 2012