Immigration detainees' march (1)
01 January 1991
Immigration detainees' march
artdoc March=1995
A four-day march to mark the first anniversary of the opening of
Campsfield detention centre ended on 4 December with the handing
in of a petition to Downing Street protesting at the inhuman
rules and practices awaiting those claiming asylum in Britain.
Over 650 asylum-seekers are detained every day and there are no
statutory time limits on detention, so that some have been in
detention for over a year. 129 of those currently detained have
been in detention for over six months. Immigration minister
Nicholas Baker admitted that it cost 21 million pounds per year
to keep the asylum-seekers locked up. The percentage of asylum
claimants allowed to remain in Britain, either as refugees or
with exceptional leave to remain, has fallen from over 75% to
around 20% in the fifteen months since the Asylum Act came into
force.
Statewatch, Vol 4 no 6, November-December 1994